Does Mobile Convenience Drive Sales?
July 17, 2012
I rely on my smartphone to keep me connected. Since I’m also short on time (and as an Italian, short on patience), I rely on my phone to make my life easier, too.
That’s why I’m a big fan of making purchases with my phone – because convenience is key. In fact, according to the research, companies believe that it’s the most important factor that drives customer adoption of mobile commerce.
For example, Starbucks allows users to pay from its mobile app because they know that a better experience at checkout strengthens customer loyalty. Their app also drives sales; U.S. News reports that Starbucks currently sees about a million transactions per week through their mobile app alone. Even if the cash-only joint down the street makes a better brew, it doesn’t offer as convenient of a transaction.
Even if your business isn’t in a place to develop its own payment infrastructure, you can still take advantage of the idea. Services like LevelUp and Square do the heavy lifting for you, so you don’t have to re-invent the wheel to get mobile payments up and running. I love earning discounts through LevelUp, keep a few tabs open on Square, and am proof that the whole “mobile payments = loyalty” thing works.
Don’t be afraid – start small by playing around with these apps, and get started on building ideas that can work for your business. It’ll be worth it.