Last week, Performance Horizon attended the 7th Annual StarTrack Online Retail Industry Awards along with 700 people at the Dockside Pavilion in Sydney, Australia.
As part of the event, Performance Horizon sponsored the award category “Best Mobile Commerce Site/Application,” which spotlighted the retailer with the best overall mobile site and/or smartphone application.
We mention this not to simply tout our own participation but to draw attention to a topic that should be top of mind for every retailer – and in fact – every brand and digital advertiser: mobile commerce.
According to data from App Annie in a recent article on PerformanceIn, mobile has moved from ‘second screen’ and has become the ‘first screen’ for consumers with time spent using mobile apps more than doubling since 2014. The report also mentioned the ever-upward trajectory of mobile commerce and note retail apps such as Amazon and eBay were spotted on several markets’ top ten most used applications.
The examples we saw from the mobile award finalists remind us all that whether through mobile apps or mobile websites, brands need to shift to a mobile-first mentality and focus squarely on designing, testing and optimizing with the objective of making mobile browsing and shopping a seamless experience – even if the customer converts later in store.
When examining the award entries, the judges focused on efficient site/application design, effective use of technology, and the strategies and innovations implemented by the retailer to optimize the customer experience and the path to purchase.
It was great to have a view into all of the rising stars in retail, especially the ones pushing innovation with their mobile web and app strategies. We want to congratulate all those involved across brands, vendors, agencies and partners – especially online book retailer Booktopia, winner of the mobile category, and Appliances Online for a very successful evening.
