[June 19, 2013] As Online Shopping Trends Favor Mobile Coupons and In-App Shopping, MobileAppSource.com Urges SMBs to Adopt Mobile Marketing Tactics Tweet (PR Web Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Pasadena, California (PRWEB) June 19, 2013 Based on current consumer shopping and spending trends, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) would be wise to take a cue from major retail operators and rely more on mobile apps and mobile websites as promotional platforms. Mobile merchandising -- particularly the use of mobile coupons, and mobile apps that push offers -- is rapidly transforming retail. According to research firm ComScore, 11% of retail ecommerce dollars were spent via smartphones and tablet computers in the first quarter of this year, representing $5.9 billion in retail receipts (not counting travel-related purchases). By comparison, in Q1 2012 mobile share was just 8%. ComScore also finds that ecommerce giants like Amazon and Apple are extending their desktop audiences by 45% on average through use of mobile tactics, and that smartphone shoppers outspent tablet users during Q1 2013. These developments underscore the skyrocketing use of mobile marketing tools that any retail SMB can acquire. In its recent article, "How Mobile Coupons Are Driving An Explosion In Mobile Commerce" BusinessInsider.com reported that, "New mobile merchandising trends...like mobile catalogs and coupons are helping to drive this explosion. Thanks in part to this new ecosystem of retail and shopping apps, mobile-generated retail spend could rise to 15% of retail e-commerce by the end of this year." The BusinessInsider.com article also noted that, "At roughly 10%, the redemption rate of mobile coupons crushes that of print coupons, which hovers around 1%." Other strong points of mobile coupons cited by BusinessInsider included their usefulness in acquiring consumer data; their role as potentially valuable pieces of content; and their ability to drive foot traffic to physical locations. "Mobile merchandising and marketing tools are leading a retail revolution," said MobileAppSource president, Michael Berner. "Industry sources estimate that more than 52 million smartphone users will be redeeming mobile coupons by the end of 2014. SMBs need to get their piece of the action by putting mobile-optimized websites and dedicated shopping apps in place now. It's an immense opportunity for business owners to adopt highly efficient and cost-effective online solutions." About MobileAppSource.com MobileAppSource is a privately held corporation headquartered in Pasadena, CA, that specializes in increasing profits for small and medium-sized businesses via the implementation of advanced mobile strategies. The company develops apps for all iPhones, iPads, Android, and HTML5 devices and websites that are optimized for smartphone technology. For more information please email mike(at)mobileappsource(dot)com or call (877) 225-1720. Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/6/prweb10843507.htm (c) 2013 PRWEB.COM Newswire [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]