A Close Look into mCommerce and eCommerce

[This article was written by Henrik Adams.]

eCommerce and mCommerce don’t mean the same things. However, the aim of both is making customers’ lives much easier. eCommerce, or electronic commerce, in simple terms means selling and buying online. mCommerce, or mobile commerce on the other hand is a subcategory of eCommerce with focus on buying through mobile devices. eCommerce has steadily been on the rise and is also one of the best ways of managing online shopping activities.

In the future, it may not be the major frontier when it comes to online shopping since there is a drastic rise in mCommerce. Nevertheless, it’s the advanced abbreviation that covers the eCommerce field. With the advancement in technology, business organizations increasingly feel the need to integrate their businesses with digital solutions, thus the demand for eCommerce development services is on the rise.

The Key Differences

Even though the world of mobile devices and the web are based on similar fundamental principles and aim in making the lives of people easier, there are some differences between mCommerce and eCommerce. Check out the following.

MOBILITY

Since eCommerce means electronic, shopping occurs over the web. eCommerce activities are usually done with laptops and desktop computers, thus users need a place to do their transactions. It’s not very comfortable using a laptop anywhere, or while you’re on the move. mCommerce means using mobile devices.

People could do transactions anywhere, anytime via their smartphones and other mobile devices, as long as there is internet access. Rather than using ATMs to make purchases, there are mobile wallets, such as Android Pay and Apple pay as ways for a user to pay their purchases.

LOCATION SUPERVISION

The capabilities to keep track or supervise location is limited with eCommerce. Mobile commerce however is able to track and determine user locations using Wi-Fi and the GPS technology among others. Thus, mCommerce applications could provide personalized and location-centric content. Notifications for instance could allow a local business to offer personalized discounts, which target specific consumers in a certain location.

SECURITY

Securing any transaction that occurs over the web is paramount. With eCommerce, the most common mode of payment is via credit cards. Consumers however are still wary about sending their information over the internet, which is truly a challenge.

There are more extensive capabilities in mCommerce. Aside from the regular security measures that are also available in eCommerce, such as multi-level authentication and two-factor authentication, mobile commerce could also offer a bio-metric authentication through fingerprints, face ID and retina scans.

What Market Experts have to Say

An eCommerce development company could provide dynamic and expert solutions to clients far and wide. India for instance, is flooded with hundreds of competing brands to outperform in the industry. People prefer eCommerce to purchase things from the comforts of their homes than going to a physical store. mCommerce on one hand provides new ways, such as shopping via mobile devices, which more and more people prefer nowadays.

Smartphone shopping is in trend, making it a major source for people to fulfill their shopping needs. Mobile commerce now is considered as the major channel for an ultimate shopping experience by changing the consumers’ regular habits of buying through desktops. At first, people were hesitant to make purchases via their mobiles due to the small size of the screen, which make the process frustrating, the loading speed and the wariness of users to make payments via mobile websites.

eCommerce companies have started to address these concerns to provide out-of-the-box results. They’re working on making their sites clearly visible and compatible with new generation big mobile screens. Besides, they make students and introduce different features for a much easier shopping on a regular basis.

The Pros in mCommerce

1. Instantaneous Contact. The One-step calling option helps customers instantly reach a brand. The one click calling feature, live chat assistance and toll-free help desk benefit clients through boosting accessibility.
2. Thorough Access. Providing customers thorough access to a brand is the key to success. One of the most acute focus in mobile commerce is to offer numerous communication channels to solve customer issues in real time. Everything that the users need, from convenience to support service could be exactly provided in a compact way.
3. Personal Touch. The push notifications are delivery systems that bridge the gap between the brand and the customers. They’re more prompt in delivering offers as well as better audience reach. Apps with push notifications could boost the rate of conversion through precise targeting of prospective customers.
4. Payments. Convenience and security is mandatory for any business, be it mobile or web. The in-app payment enables customers to pay within an app to avail of more premium or personalized offerings. Transactions via in-app payment does not need third-party gateways and are hosted by the platform itself. For example, users of Android could pay through Google Wallet. iOS users on the other hand could pay through Apple Pay.

Why Invest in mCommerce Mobile Apps?

Mobile commerce apps have gained a great following, and organizations big and small are investing in these apps due the following reasons:

• Enable easy tracking of user behavior via mobile analytics.
• Easily offer product recommendations and a personalized experience.
• Better user experience.
• Escalate the experience of customers shopping from physical stores, thanks to Augmented Reality.
• Allow direct communication by opening new marketing channels and with push notifications.
• Take advantage of the hardware features, bringing in a more personalized experience

Key Takeaway

Many eCommerce business organizations want to grow their business by adopting mCommerce solutions that could help acquire better return on investment.

Author Bio:

Henrik Adams is an eCommerce Industry Analyst, who worked with one of the leading Magento Development Company — Sparsh Technologies. He likes to write about eCommerce development, web development, marketing, sales and more about current trends.