If you are like many people in 2019, you’ll be used to wielding a smartphone. Our mobile devices have become easily one of the most important parts of our modern lives. It plays a major role in the way that we work, live and act. Indeed, for many of us, our phone – from the brand to the style – is an extension of ourselves. And it’s easy to see why: the amount of things our phones can do is dizzying.
Go back a decade, and the concept of making purchases when on the train to work would seem ludicrous. Today, though, with the rise of Wi-Fi and smartphone connectivity, we can do so much more than we used to be able to. Without being dramatic, the world of mobile commerce has changed the world. We can make purchases so much easier than we could even a few years ago. Sitting aboard a train, you can more or less tap into the full power of the internet.
Many of us even use our smartphones when heading into town to do some shopping. Let’s say that you are going clothes shopping. You might look up the top five stores in town at present, and then pinpoint their location. When you do that, you might then choose to head on down to visit these stores. As you walk down, though, it’s no surprise to see you calculating and planning exactly what you will be buying.
Indeed, did you now that around 1/3 of our shopping decisions are now made by what we see on the smartphone? According to The Future of Mobile Commerce from Signal boosters UK, the world very much relies on its smartphone. You might have a good idea in mind: but how good is it?
Mobile commerce helps us to find even more value
For example, if you are heading to a store, then you are likely to be one of the 80% of people who have made a buying decision using their phone. Next time you are in a department store, especially the clothing aisles, take a look around you. What do you see? Because you will start to see more and more of it.
People standing around, phone in hand, studying each item in detail. We all do it. You see something for a good price in one store, but you check to see if their main competitor has it for less. The mobile commerce world has led to even more competition, though. Despite hating the fact that you do what you do, companies know that this is the game that you play. As such, big sellers in one store will soon mysteriously drop even lower in price in their main competitor.
Why? Because they know that the present of mobile commerce is also the future. People will always enjoy buying in person, that much is almost impossible to change. What they will always enjoy even more, though, is having power over a retailer. If a shopping team knows that you are just a few URLs away from walking out the door and spending your money in a rival, they’ll do everything that they can to keep you in-store. They know that just 1 in 5 shoppers now don’t use their phone for some on-demand comparison buying.
If they see you hanging around for a while, looking at your phone constantly comparing items, they’ll want to know why. Are you looking to their major competitor to see if they have a better deal? If so, don’t be surprised to see staff react.
Mobile commerce makes us even smart shoppers
And now that you know this, you can use it to your advantage. The next time that you go shopping, be sure to take a few more glances at your screen. Why? The staff will see it. Talk to someone on the phone about how you found X suit or Y dress, but it’s Z% cheaper in their major competitor. You will be surprised at how many stores who overhear this will then act and offer you the rate that you see elsewhere. With the fact that we all carry around an on-demand fact and value checker with us now understood, companies need to act to keep you around.
One of the most common tools used at the moment is pop-up ads when on a mobile website. If you are checking it out, you might just get all form of deals appearing on the screen. This is to entice you to buy with their company, online or offline. By using the power of checking for more value elsewhere, though, you can essentially take full control of your destiny as a buyer.
Mobile shopping has changed everything
Go back a few short years, and it was too easy to walk into a store and feel undervalued. Staff would treat you with a veneer of expertise, often leaving you wondering if you wanted to give them your hard-earned cash. Now that staff knows you can no longer just take it or leave it, knowing that you could instead go to their main competitor, they will fight tooth and nail to keep you on the premises for longer.
Remember this, because mobile shopping has changed the entire world. One of the most important things about mobile shopping is that it has taken the power from the retailer and put it right back in your hands. Now, next time you go shopping, you will know for a fact that you are the one in command and control.
So, don’t let a shop ever make you feel like you are having to settle for their ‘best’ price. With simple mobile comparisons, you can make sure that the store knows that you are in command. All it takes is a flash of the phone and a quick phone call with a friend to discuss your value findings on the go. You have the power, so be sure to use it: mobile commerce has given you total control once again.
| About the Guest Author:
Anna Steve
