If there is anything that mobile taught us in 2011, it is the simple fact that mobile matters when there is something in it for the customer.
I like to use "Cuddledown of Maine" as an example, not because I work with them (I never have), but because they offer a really solid reference point for the rest of us to consider.
So let's consider them.
Under what circumstance would mobile help you purchase 400 Thread Count Sateen Meridian Print Bedding? Be honest! And once you identify the circumstances, how many target customers at Cuddledown of Maine meet that criteria?
In 2011, mobile worked when there were significant price discounts offered, or there was some sense of urgency (think eBay).
Keep that in mind as folks tell you that "mobile changes everything" in 2012. What is the problem that mobile solves for your business?
Hi Kevin,
ReplyDeleteLaura from Cuddledown here...thanks for thinking of us, flattering to be used as your example. Curious....when you're talking mobile above, are you including tablet? And would love to hear some of your thoughts on the ecatalog apps and mobile and whether it makes sense to also create your own ecatalog app as well as being part of someone else's (eg google catalog, catalog spree).
Best, Laura Hnatow
To me, tablets are somewhere between e-commerce and mobile, to me, they are not mobile.
ReplyDeleteI think we're in the top of the 1st inning when it comes to apps. It is my opinion that, long-term, catalog apps aren't going anywhere, we just don't have the imagination to do anything other than put a catalog on an app at this time. Five years from now, we'll be in a very different place.
There's a complete audience disconnect (today) between apps and catalog customers. The average catalog customer is in the Baby Boomer generation, app users are much, much younger, on average, and tend to not shop catalog brands often. It's going to be a challenging bridge for catalogers to cross ... not impossible in any way ... but challenging.