In the fast moving world of ecommerce, establishing trends or truths is a tricky business. New data featured in our State of Cross-Device Commerce Report proves that purchasing patterns are complex. What does this mean for your existing mCommerce strategies? And how can you capitalize on this shift in shopper behavior to get ahead?
Cross-device is king
Criteo data shows that almost a third (31%) of transactions in the US now involve two or more devices, meaning mCommerce has been firmly replaced by ‘cross-device’ commerce. At the same time, the number of purchases made on mobile has rocketed upward, with data showing a 25% year-on-year increase in add-to-basket and conversion rates on smartphones. The data also shows that it’s wrong to simply assume consumers will move from mobile to desktop as they get closer to making a purchase. It may be true that a quarter (25%) of transactions that start on a smartphone finish on a desktop, but more than a third (35%) of shoppers’ journeys that start on a desktop finish on a smartphone.
Without cross-device tracking, you have a limited view of the path to purchase, risk missing out on engagement opportunities, and lack the visibility to measure campaign impact. Now that shopping is spread fairly evenly across devices, it’s important to capture browsing and buying activity wherever it takes place.
User-centric approaches win
Understanding the cross-device customer journey is key to creating relevance and boosting conversions, and adopting a customer-centric approach to measurement enables you to identify where consumers drop out of the funnel.
Three top tips for capitalizing on cross-device commerce:
1. Join the data dots.
Capturing and consolidating data from all devices is the first step to connecting the customer journey. Make sure you bring disparate data together so you can analyze it in one place and adjust your campaigns in real time.
2. Optimize for cross-device.
To create a seamless, synchronized experience, make sure that when users switch devices, they have the ability to pick up exactly where they left off. Functionalities like persistent shopping carts that update in real time across different devices will reduce consumer effort and boost conversions.
3. Adopt a cross-device structure.
Breaking down silos in your marketing division will allow you to more effectively measure engagement across channels and devices, and better serve your customers.
