In 2016, mobile devices overtook PC's as the most popular device for surfing the net and more search are carried out on Smartphones than on any other device! We underestimate how much time we spend on our mobile devices (phones and tablets). In 2017, mobiles will be used to consume more content than televisions.

At Kerridge Commercial Systems, we recognised this shift in the use of technology for surfing the net and began to design and develop “Mobile First” for the web. There is a shift in as more purchases are made, and content consumed, via mobile devices than ever before. This is widely predicted to increase and we want our customers to be ready to embrace the exciting challenges ahead!

When you combine this change with different demographics, that have to be targeted on more than just their age, it presents a challenge when moving to online commerce

Digital Natives, Millenials – you have heard these terms, what do they mean?

Mobile engagement is crucial for picking up younger customers. Those born after 1994 are known as Digital Natives (or Millenials) and not only have they grown up with technology, they’ve grown up with instant information and a more inclusive social structure.

This means that you’re going to need a few Digital Natives in your business to make sure you stay relevant.

How do you ensure your business remains relevant?

Relevance is crucial, retailers need to adopt to the new generation of customers and move with the changing consumer behaviour.

Knowing the differences between your customers is key part of relevancy, Prince Charles and Ozzy Osbourne are the same age – would you treat them the same? Would they buy in the same way as each other? Would their interests be the same? Profiling and segmentation is one of the main ways to address this challenge – you will know whether or not your digital strategy is working, you can adjust your strategy to incorporate mobile to help.

Consumers want more and more to interact while on the go, on their mobile devices. Retailers that are successfully navigating this and enabling flexible, convenient customer journeys (across all devices and instore) are seeing results.

Is your website up to scratch?

The issue is that most websites don’t measure up to mobile, 79% of consumers say that sites are too slow to load on mobile and the format is too difficult to read. 45% say that the sites don’t function as expected on mobile, a sure way to lose people during the purchase process.