The Growth of Ecommerce Marketing: How Social and Mobile Marketing are Affecting E-Tailers

Today, it’s easier than ever for customers to find what they’re looking for–without ever leaving their couches.

We can purchase a new pair of shoes, browse for Father’s day presents, shop for the season’s top swimsuits, the latest sound system, a new lawn mower, and so much more all without having to step into a physical brick and mortar store.

And when customers do step into a physical store, that isn’t a guarantee that that is where they will find, or buy, the products or services they’re looking for.

Thanks to social media promotion, and the easy access to product information available on mobile phones, more and more people are aware of ecommerce sites that offer the same products at a lower cost and less hassle, meaning more and more customers will leave a store without making a purchase.

Showrooming is just one example of how mobile marketing has changed the ecommerce marketing landscape, and it’s responsible for part of the serious boost in online sales happening today. Even if you’re not familiar with the term, chances are that if you have a smartphone you’re guilty of it. Showrooming is when you visit a local store to check out a product in person, then pull out your smartphone to look up the product online in order to see where you can get it at a lower rate. Often shoppers even find the item at a cheaper price and purchase it right then and there on their phone.

We are a “plugged-in” society and we love our gadgets. The entertainment of using our latest gadget combined with the ease of online shopping has guaranteed that the rate of online retail sales will continue to grow.  Mobile use in ecommerce shopping is so influential that it already accounts for 10% of all sales taking place online, and it seems this trend will only continue in the years to come.

And, ecommerce sites that promote their products on social platforms too are more likely to encourage customers to keep their brand in mind–even while those customers are wandering through a local store. While the benefit of social media may not always be immediately obvious, sharing updates, online coupons, fun deals, new products and more on social sites allows e-tailers to ensure they’re getting the exposure they need to boost sales when it comes time for customers to make purchases down the line.

If that isn’t enough to convince you what mobile and social marketing can do for ecommerce businesses, here are just a few stats to consider:

1. 29% of mobile users are open to scanning a mobile tag to get coupons.
2. 37% of U.S. consumers have used smartphones while inside stores to check prices or to even purchase a product online.
3. 39% of instances where a consumer walks out of a store without buying were influenced by smartphones.
4. The average tablet user spends 13.9 hours per week with the device.
5. There was 103% growth in website traffic from smartphones from 2011-2012.
6. There are more devices connected to the Internet than there are people on Earth.
7. In 2012, B2C ecommerce sales grew 21.1% to top $1 trillion for the first time, according to eMarketer.
8. eMarketer estimates that this year, sales will grow 18.3% to $1.298 trillion worldwide.

So what does this mean for your ecommerce marketing?

Tapping into the mobile and social markets are more important than ever–and that applies to ecommerce businesses too. If you want to tap into an enormous audience of online shoppers, keep your products front and center and your brand top of mind, expanding your marketing strategies to include social media as well as a mobile campaign can mean more visibility, more leads, and more sales.

To learn more about what you can do to enhance your ecommerce marketing from SEO to PPC, as well as to learn some of the ecommerce tips even your top competitors don’t have, join us for our Free Webinar next Wednesday, June 12th where you’ll get E-commerce Marketing Secrets Revealed by SEM Experts. Sign up HERE to reserve your spot today!