mobile payments Archives

Mobile Marketing Predictions for 2015

December 5, 2014

We have seen some amazing breakthroughs and innovations in the mobile space during 2014. Brands have embraced the power of beacons in campaigns, ads have become more relevant, and ApplePay could potentially revolutionize mobile payments. Businesses are beginning to understand how mobile marketing and tactics can increase sales and build a better relationship with their customers. So what can we expect to see in 2015?

Mobile payments

ApplePay could make mobile payments mainstream. Brands and apps, especially those that are retail-focused, can now make the user experience even more seamless. Eighty-six percent of shoppers use their smartphone to compare prices and browse sales. Connecting these with the ability to make a purchase without entering credit card information, or by just using their phone in store, will make an easier and faster shopping experience, in store and online.

More Location Based Marketing

Major retailers like Lord & Taylor and Walgreen’s have rolled out major pilot programs to test the effectiveness of using iBeacons for in-store marketing. In 2015, expect to see more brands using iBeacons, geofencing and push notifications to engage with customers and create innovative campaigns. About half of consumers say they are open to sharing their location and information in order to join a rewards program.

Better Content & UX

With the ability to use location and big data to better understand users and customers, expect to see better content and more intelligent UX. Advertisers, marketers and publishers recognize the effectiveness of delivering more relevant content using these tools, and are using new methods to understand how to connect better. Expect apps, ads and content to become more engaging and relevant.

What trends would you like to see in 2015?

Optimizing Mobile For Holiday Shopping

November 21, 2014

With Black Friday only a week away the holiday shopping madness will soon commence. Shopping this holiday season is projected to reach $72.4 billion! That’s $10 billion more than last year’s spending. For brands prepping their marketing and advertising, mobile and digital continue to play a huge role in influencing shopping and purchasing decisions. Check out these stats from Yahoo:

Half of holiday sales will be influenced by digital interactions
84 percent of shoppers use digital tools before or while shopping, and convert at a 40 percent higher rate
101.7 million US consumers will purchase on their mobile devices
86 percent of retailers expect their 2014 online holiday sales to increase

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9 Facts That Show Mobile Is Ready for Another Huge Year

November 13, 2014

Mobile is no longer the second screen; it’s the first. Consumers around the world are using their smartphones for everything from making payments to browsing the internet and brands are hopping on board to ensure mobile experiences are exceptional. Location based technologies and big data are helping apps and businesses deliver consumers user experiences that deliver content users want based on their location and preferences.

Mobile has come far in the last year with beacons and mobile payments getting a big boost. But those numbers are expected to grow even more in the next year. Here are nine stats to prove it!

By the end of 2014, 6.9 billion people will have cell phone plans. That’s about 95 percent of the world’s population.

There are 143 million smartphones and 71 million tablets smartphones in the US.

Five percent of smartphone owners aged 18-44 can’t recall the last time they didn’t have their mobile next to them

A survey of UK smartphone users found that they use their phones for 221 tasks consuming three hours and 16 minutes per day.

In Europe, mobile commerce is expected to account for nearly 50 percent of all online sales by 2018, according to Forrester.

In the last year, purchases made using a smartphone or tablet increased 48 percent to $8 billion.

It’s just young people shopping on mobile – 25 percent of mobile shoppers in the US are over the age of 55.

Half of B2B vendors sell through mobile phones and that is expected to rise to 75 percent by the end of 2014.

Mobile advertising has doubled from $4.4 billion in 2012 to $8.5 billion in 2013. By 2017, mobile advertising is expected to hit $31.1 billion.

It’s safe to say 2015 will be another big year for mobile! What are you most excited to see?

What Does Apple Pay Mean for Marketers?

October 20, 2014

Starting today iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users can opt to store their credit and debit cards in Passbook and make purchases with the simple tap of their phone using Apple Pay. Apple finally adopted near field communications technology with the release of the iPhone 6 in order to power Apple Pay. With Apple leading the way, experts are predicting mobile payments will become mainstream. While Google Wallet has been around since 2011, the hype of Apple Pay may lead to an increase in mobile payments among Android users, too. Forrester predicts they will increase fourfold to $90 billion by 2017!

How to Set it Up

Download iOS 8.1 and open the Passbook app
Tap Set up Apple Pay
First select your card that is linked with your iTunes account and confirm
Then, you can scan new cards with the iPhone camera.The first card added will be your primary card.

How It Works
Once Apple Pay is set up, it’s easy to use in stores. At stores using Apple Pay, iPhone users can simply tap their phone to the point of sale (POS) terminal and verify the payment with Touch ID or a pin code. The transaction will securely be sent to the bank and with approval, the purchase is complete.

Apple has said over 220,000 US stores will be using Apple Pay including Apple, Bloomingdales, Macy’s Duane Reade, McDonald’s, Sephora, Petco, Panera Bread, Staples, Nike, Walgreens, Subway and Whole Foods. Users will also be able to pay with Apple Pay with a number of apps including Target, Tickets.com and Uber.

What Marketers Need to Know
The largest impact Apple Pay is expected to have is on the adoption of mobile payments. According to Digital Trends, a new law will take place in the fall of 2015 requiring merchants to support credit cards with Chip and PIN security, and therefore, merchants are expected to updated their POS terminals which will likely be Apple Pay enabled. The easy and secure process Apple has created, as well as their track record in changing consumer behavior, are other reasons to believe mobile payments will become mainstream.

Apple said they are not collecting or storing transaction information in order to ensure consumer’s that Apple Pay is secure and private. While this will help with the adoption of mobile payments, businesses will not be able to collect this data to optimize marketing campaigns. Instead, ensure consumers their information is secure and test other mobile marketing tactics such as NFC stickers, beacons or geofencing.

Are you planning on using Apple Pay?