Partner Content: It is time for E-commerce firms to take a cross-device strategy for marketing

E-commerce was first introduced in India some 25 years back but it actually reached masses only in 2007 with a deep discounted ecommerce model of Flipkart introduced to Indian consumers. Since then the online marketplace model has become popular as big giants like eBay, Snapdeal, and Amazon started to expand in India. 

 

While E-commerce began with a desktop model for online shopping, it was not long when more shopping channels like mobiles and tablets were introduced, soon gaining popularity. Today, Indian shoppers are moving towards multiple-device ecommerce.  A latest research by Criteo, ‘The State of Cross-Device Commerce– India’, shows that 55 per cent of Indian shoppers scroll through multiple devices to explore products before buying. A majority of 74 per cent of consumers still remain desktop users but 24 per cent of them are using mobile as the first device for browsing products online.

 

The desktop space is largely dominated by shoppers during office hours while mobile devices are used more often during non-office hours. The research also found that over 51% of these shoppers are using two or more devices in their shopping journey - A fact that calls for adoption of cross-device ecommerce strategy  by ecommerce retailers.

 

Commenting on the report, Dushyant Sapre, commercial director, Criteo, said, “Adoption of a cross-device measurement strategy is a critical imperative for all retailers.  Marketers not only need to adopt cross-device measurement to ensure proper attribution, but also to ensure that their expenditures are optimized for the channels delivering the highest performance. Retailers who are able to deliver a seamless and personalised customer experience across devices will stand out from the crowd.” 

 

Some Research Highlights:

 

Cross-Device Measurement Means Smarter Spending and Higher Returns

As customers continue to use multiple devices for purchases, marketers need to consider how much cross-device shopping may result in digital advertising waste if they do not have accurate and scalable measurement. Traditional analytics tools look at activities on a device-by-device basis, providing a limited view of a customer’s multi-device journey. Shifting to a user-centric view that leverages advanced cross-device measurement tools can help companies accurately identify a consumer and capture a holistic view of their shopping journey. This approach aligns with buying behavior and the intent to more accurately report transaction attribution.  The case for proper cross-device measurement, identification and attribution is clear:

 

• About 51 per cent shoppers use multiple device for online shopping, clearly 1 in 2 transactions may be misappropriated without cross-device measurement

• Conversion rates using cross device are up to 2x higher than a per-device view

 

Smartphones and Tablets Continue to be a Dominant Force for Final Purchase

The customer journey remains dynamic across devices, but smartphones and tablets witness a higher transaction rate. Some key consumer buying trends during September 2016- December 2016 were: 

 

• Out of total cross device transaction, 24 per cent of first device browsing begin with a smartphone

• Of total cross device transactions, about 39 per cent shoppers have first desktops as first device browsing but final device for purchase is smartphones

• Out of total shoppers who completed a transaction on smartphone, 55 per cent browsed on multiple devices

• Cross device buyers are evenly represented across the three purchases devices, smartphones (55 per cent), tablets (56 per cent) and desktops (50 per cent) 

 

Device preferences for online shoppers vary throughout the day

The “browse on your smartphone, buy on your desktop” trend is officially dead. Instead, consumers now use their smartphones for both searching and purchasing, making it even more important for retailers to provide a synchronized experience across desktop and mobile:

 

• In India, desktop purchases peak during work hours, while mobile devices dominate during non-office hours  

• However, tablets and smartphones usage for online shopping soars over the weekend

 

Marketers can no longer afford to ignore these evolving shopping behaviours. Savvy retailers today offer a seamless user experience across all devices to capture purchases wherever they take place – and, with this cross-device view of the customer shopping journey, they can spend their marketing budgets more effectively. 

 

Download the complete State of Cross-Device report here.