Business missing the marketing goldmine that is mobile commerce
Facebook has emerged as the most popular social media platform for people to buy goods and services, but Australian brands are way behind, with 34% of businesses not using social media at all.
The first ever Paypal mCommerce Index Report revealed there remains a huge gap between the evolving behaviour of consumers and how business is reacting.
The survey found that 71% of consumers now use their mobile devices for payments, spending an average of $330 a month.
Of those who engaged in transactions directly through social networks – using devices such as ‘click-to-buy’ buttons – 75% have purchased through Facebook.
Roy: “The emergence of social commerce was one of the real surprises of the survey”
In an indictment of how far behind business was compared with consumer behaviour and expectations, 51% of Australian businesses have not optimised for mobile and 20% of Australian business did not know what their ecommerce sales figures were.
“Although online businesses think they don’t have to optimise for mobile now they will have to if they want to stay competitive,” said Libby Roy, managing director, PayPal Australia.
“Mobile-toting teenagers will become wage earners and the population of digital native consumers will continue to grow.”
She said that 24% of people over 50 were making mobile payments and purchases at least once a week.
The report also found that ‘dual screening’ was now commonplace with 82% of people reporting they made mobile purchases while at home relaxing or watching TV.
The data shows that although the majority of consumers do not indicate that mobile is their preferred device for online purchases, they are using their mobile devices to shop when they are at home, presumably when they also have access to a laptop or desktop computer,” the report said.
“Understanding the prevalence of dual-screening can help to inform future mcommerce positioning, marketing and consumer targeting,” said Libby Roy.
She said the emergence of social commerce was one of the real surprises of the survey.
“It’s definitely emerging as a new frontier for online commerce,” she said.
“11% of respondents have actually purchased via a social platform.”
She said the consumer uptake of social commerce would grow quickly and that 7% of businesses were able to accept payment through social channels, but the huge gap between early adopters and majority of the business community was a concern.”
“A quarter said they didn’t understand how social media worked,” she said.
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