How recently have you reached for your phone to shop and research? For most of us, including myself, it’s likely we’ve done that just today. Factors such as the global pandemic, a generational shift to the younger workforce and rising B2C ecommerce expectations have accelerated the rate at which B2B organizations are conducting business online. The digitally native generations now control a majority of spending and ordering dollars, so B2B organizations need to adjust to meet them halfway. With younger generations taking in the forefront, mobile experiences are now expected at the same level as having a commerce-enabled website.
Leveraging your mobile app
As you consider your customer buying journeys, mobile will be a touchpoint at least once along the way. The ability to provide a frictionless experience across all digital channels is a key element in a successful customer experience. It’s common for customers to research from their desktop computers and then transition to using mobile – and they expect to pick up right where they left off.
The number of channels that customers are using to interact is growing as well. Optimizely’s Configured Commerce mobile app made an appearance in 2019 and the expansion continues into 2021 and beyond. It’s clear the B2B market has rising expectations for easy workflows and ordering.
(McKinsey)
If you’re looking for more data to support this, it’s predicted that retail sales via smartphones is expected to grow by 19.9% yearly until 2024. Buyers who purchase from a smartphone will represent 84% of the U.S. market by then as well. (Forrester) If we look closer at the average order value from mobile from 2020 to 2021, there was a $28.17 increase. (Statistica)
Mobile SDK for Configured Commerce
To help customers expand their mobile reach, Optimizely has just released a Mobile SDK for our Configured Commerce Cloud. The Configured Commerce Mobile SDK will allow customers to unlock the full potential of a native mobile app leveraging the base functionality of the Configured Commerce platform and expand it to include any customizations that may be in place. Personalize the experience, create one or many mobile apps – the possibilities are limitless!
Buyers today have an expectation of a seamless, frictionless, omni-channel experience. The ability to personalize and provide the same level of experience on a desktop and a native mobile app is table stakes for future success. Optimizely’s Mobile SDK will allow customers to do just that. Customers and partners can now leverage the Mobile SDK to align features and functionality from the website with the mobile app.
Mobile is a necessary piece in your digital strategy, and Optimizely is providing more ways to build mobile capabilities. Optimizely will continue to release mobile innovations like Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), visual search and location-based services. There’s so much more to come.
If you are interested in learning more about the Configured Commerce Mobile SDK, check out our documentation. And we encourage you to connect with your implementation partner to discuss the best mobile strategy approach for you!
