M-commerce has continued to evolve in recent months as consumers experiment with how the technology fits into their purchasing habits. M-commerce has grown over time, with an increasing number of consumers using their mobile devices to research and make online orders.
However, certain branches of m-commerce have yet to be embraced by consumers in Western countries, where the technology is relatively new. For instance, 56 percent of consumers in the U.S. don’t prefer mobile payment methods, according to a survey conducted by Kantar TNS.
Mobile payments, often referred to as “mobile money,” allow consumers to make payments from their phone, most popularly by tapping the phone to a card reader. They often come in the form of platforms in which the mobile device holds credit or debit card information to act in lieu of that card. Companies such as Apple, Android, Mastercard and Paypal all offer mobile payments.
Many mobile payment platforms require specific receptors, which often must be purchased and installed by retailers, in order to properly make a purchase. The willingness and ability of vendors to install these receptors is currently the biggest barrier of entry for mobile payments to properly enter the market. Apple Pay is currently the most accepted mobile payment, with 36 percent of American retailers accepting it. However, for many other payment methods, retailers are choosing to wait and see how the market acts before making the adjustments.
There are certain markets however, who don’t follow the trend of resistance towards mobile payment platforms. Estimations from eMarketer predicts nearly 78 percent of smartphone users in China will use a mobile payment platform in 2018. Of the 56 countries surveyed in the Kantar TNS survey, only China and Mongolia had a majority of participants say they prefer to use mobile payments at 64 and 63 percent respectively.
Dirxion offers app development for both the Google Play and iTunes stores. Within the apps, customers are able to view a business’s online catalogs or download them for offline viewing. Dirxion can also integrate online catalogs into an existing application. Companies without a dedicated e-commerce mobile app benefit from an audience built from a Dirxion online catalog app. Companies have a direct avenue to a captive audience of customers via push notifications which can inform of new catalog releases, upcoming sales and other pertinent company news.
