The World Series of Shopping is just around the corner as consumers, retailers and marketers prepare for this week’s holiday rush. The make or break five-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday is expected to be one for the record books with
IBM Smarter Commerce Director Jay Henderson says mobile will reach a tipping point on Thanksgiving: “Mobile shopping really came of age last year as consumers became a lot more comfortable using their smartphones and tablets to lock in the best deals,” said Henderson. “But this is the first time we expect to observe more than half of all online traffic coming from a mobile device on Thanksgiving.”
Earlier this month, IBM released its first-ever predictions for the holiday season led by the following trends the company expects to see over the next few days:
1) More than half of online browsing will come from mobile devices on Thanksgiving: According to Henderson, this explosion in mobile shopping speaks to the comfort, convenience and confidence of shoppers in browsing and buying on the go. The company also predicts that mobile traffic and sales will increase by 23 percent and 9.5 percent, respectively, over the five-day shopping period.
2) Smartphones will be the browsing device of choice: IBM predicts consumers will continue to browse on their smartphones but make the majority of mobile purchases on their tablet. To reach mobile shoppers, marketers need to design and deliver consistent experiences across screens. This nuance is important, says Henderson, as marketers need to consider screen size when optimizing Web and mobile experiences. This includes designing mobile campaigns and simplifying mobile sites to make it easy for consumers to browse and buy their favorite products with the swipe of a finger.
3) There will be less spam. Retailers will give the gift of less spam this holiday, according to Henderson, who explains marketers are using real-time analytics to better understand the unique interests of their shoppers and send more targeted email promotions. Thanks to this new level of personalization, IBM predicts that retailers will see a 10 percent higher click-through rate for email promotions sent during the five-day shopping weekend.
Tips for Marketers
If there is a common theme for marketers and retailers this holiday season, it is the importance of real-time analytics in reaching shoppers in the moment. “Marketers recognize the value of big data and analytics in designing their holiday campaigns, however, the winners this year will be those that can use that insight to make decisions in real-time as trends unfold,” said Henderson. “This is a major leg-up for marketers during the most competitive time of year, where consumers are not only on the hunt for the best bargains, but are paying attention to the marketers and retailers who know them best, personalize offers, and provide a relevant and engaging experience.”
Henderson also suggests marketers use analytics to eliminate any potential pain points throughout the consumer shopping experience. This includes customer analytics to identify and explore the “why” behind mobile app failures, website usability issues and other obstacles that lead to failed transactions, shopping cart abandonment, or negative feedback on social channels. Taking some time to understand the “why” as well as the ‘how’ can eliminate potential issues during the make or break holiday rush.
Join the Discussion: @KimWhitler
Kimberly A. Whitler, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business and former CMO, having worked at Procter and Gamble, PetSmart, and David's Bridal.
