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Is your firm on board with the tablet revolution?

22 May 2012

The mind-spinning pace of the techno-evolution can be tough to keep up with, but as our previous post shows, mobile (and in particular) tablet-based media are here to stay.

According to Comscore, tablet ownership is set to double in 2012, replacing lower-end laptops by the end of the year. Furthermore, with an ever-growing hunger for social and commercial immediacy, firms are now having to rethink their digital strategy in order to effectively foster consumer-brand relationships and hold the attentions of the ‘I-want-it-now’ generation.

However, this is developing into as good an opportunity for firms as it is consumers, with businesses increasingly turning to tablets as a more effective means of engaging with stakeholders and capture information in real time. This results in greater transparency and trust and a cue for better business practices.

This rise of the tablet, initially seen as a better way to present a business, is informing the entire sales process, improving conversion rates, real time data capture and server integration. In addition, communication is aided through note-taking, distribution of materials and marketing collateral as well as inventory management and audits.

Cultivated in the late 90s, ‘frictionless retailing’, as coined by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, was a call to action for online retailers to improve features such as product search, customer loyalty initiatives, recommendations, personalisation and simplified check outs and payments.

The arrival of the iPad has enabled online retailers bring their shopping experiences up to date.

For example, a recent study shows the tablet-owning ‘Connected Consumer’ is more likely to describe their shopping style as ‘spontaneous’, ‘addict’, ‘brand-faithful’ or ‘luxury’. Compare this to the ‘frugal’ or ‘reluctant’ shoppers predominately using PCs and the opportunities in tablet-friendly eComm become clear.

Perhaps surprisingly then is that the same research (conducted by HawkPartners on behalf of Z mag) shows that fewer than a third of the top 100 online retailers have made any attempt to optimise their website for tablets. Similarly, less than a quarter have apps that allow consumers to buy directly.

All this leaves a massive gap in the market for any tech-savvy or consumer-aware companies looking to step into the ring and utilise the opportunity to engage and reach consumers across all devices and channels.

So, are you ready?

References: http://www.zmags.com/blog/new-research-report-meet-the-connected-consumer

http://www.zmags.com/blog/new-research-report-mobile-tablet-commerce-is-anyone-really-ready

Danielle Stagg

Written by Danielle Stagg