According to the Consumers and Mobile Financial Services Report published in 2014 by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, smartphones are changing the way people shop and make financial decisions. Increasingly more consumers are making financial and shopping decisions on their smartphones. For example, under the consumer survey conducted in 2013, 44 percent of smartphone users have comparison shopped with their phone while at a retail store, and 31 percent have used their phone to scan a product’s bar code to find the best price for the item. 68 percent of consumers who used their phones to comparison shop in a retail store have changed where they purchased the product as a result of the information they found. 24 percent of smartphone users have used their phone to track purchases and expenses. All these data show an upward trend as compared with 2011 and 2012 statistics.

The upward trend will continue when consumers recognize the benefits mobile technology has to offer. So how do we respond to the upward trend of mobile shopping? Inkjet Star, Inc. has accumulated over 10 years of experience in internet marketing of compatible and remanufactured printer ink and toner cartridges. In early 2014, we completely redesigned our website to be mobile-ready.

How are consumers served and benefited by mobile shopping?

Time matters

Mobile shopping means that consumers can make purchase anytime and anywhere on their mobile devices. It saves time and energy needed to manage the shopping list. Let us imagine one of the scenarios where consumers can benefit from mobile shopping. As a college student is leaving the classroom, he thinks of the assignment that will be due in a couple of days and he remembers that the toner is low for his printer. He takes out his smartphone to purchase the replacement toner cartridge immediately. Because this is a repeat purchase item, he logs in to his account dashboard to find the previous order and click order. There are only 2-3 clicks for the whole transaction. He is satisfied upon checking the order confirmation received via email minutes later.

Stress accumulates when the to-do list is growing. Besides saving time, mobile shopping helps shorten the to-do list so that consumers can be present to more important things.

Ease of navigation and display matter

Many websites are designed for just display on PC. When consumers search for products and pictures on their smartphones, the text and the photos are so small that they are difficult to read. The constraint of screen size has to be overcome by responsive website design. In other words, the display including information arrangement and font size has to be customized for mobile phone display. As the Inkjet Star how-to video shows, the mobile-ready website makes it easy for consumers to navigate, find the right product and complete the purchase.

Convenience matters.

The convenience of repeat purchase is one of the major consumer benefits for mobile shopping. Ink or toner cartridge is unique to the specific printer. Consumers do not need to compare products or try it on for size or color. Once consumers have their registered account at Inkjetstar.com, they can simply login their account and make purchase by going to their previous order or wish list. Consumers can complete a purchase transaction within 3-4 clicks taking advantage of the stored PayPal information.

Internet security matters.

As the report shows, those consumers who have not done online shopping or smartphone purchase are afraid of the security issue. This is an authentic problem. Inkjet Star, Inc. endeavors to overcome the security issue. We choose to encourage PayPal transaction so that credit card information is invisible to us. Even if consumers choose to use credit card for the purchase instead of PayPal, Inkjet Star, Inc. will not store the credit card information.

Smart purchase matters

Consumers are used to receiving email promotion such as discount offers and coupons. These promotion offers are often time-sensitive. When consumers are reading promotional emails on smartphones, they can immediately click at the email to be transferred to the online shop to complete the purchase. Inkjet Star, Inc. expects this consumer trend to increase.

Pricing matters

Smartphones are increasingly being used to compare product prices and to source the location of supply. Similarly, consumers may compare the prices and specification of ink and toner cartridges using their mobile phones while browsing at a retail store. This will help consumers purchase the best pricing products.

Inkjet Star, Inc. is an established online supplier of quality replacement ink and toner for printer brands such as Brother, HP, Samsung, Lexmark, Xerox, Canon, Dell, Epson, Kodak, Konica-Minolta, RICOH, Panasonic and Okidata. More information is available at the Ink Blog archives.