Retailers Can and Should Leverage Mobile Apps

Can retailers generate more sales by utilizing mobile devices and social media? In a recent interview with Footwear Insight I was asked my opinion of how footwear retailers can and should be putting these tools to work. The truth is many  brands see e-commerce and social media tools as a way of growing their business online. However, we see it as more than that. As the article states customers are surfing the internet on their mobile devices more than ever. Optimizing your website and social tools to capture users who are on mobile devices can also draw more customers into your brick and mortar locations as well.

Imagine, you are walking in a neighborhood and looking for some shoes. Does your retail location come up when a mobile users searches for nearby shoe stores? Fully optimizing your social presence means having a clear and compelling presence on many platforms, especially those that are relevant to your target audience.

Their are currently many free and low cost options for having a presence on a mobile device including: Google Places, Google Maps, Foursquare, Facebook, Yelp, and Shopkick. As the Footwear Insight article states, we recommend companies claim their places on these existing platforms before creating their own mobile apps which can be costly. The article does misquote me here, as Apps start at $20,000 to develop instead of $30,000, however that’s still a significant cost. If you are going to go to the expense of creating a proprietary App, it should perform a specific task or service that is truly going to impact your brand.

Creating a mobile version of your website on the other hand can be a more cost effective solution. Recently I was at a museum and spotted a woman wearing a pair of shoes I liked. I went on my phone and purchased the shoes on the spot. That company was able to make a sale simply because their e-commerce website was mobile friendly.

These and many other great tips are included in this article. Click twice to view the high-res file and enjoy!