Why Mobile Could Be the Ultimate Cross-Channel Marketing Tool

By PYMNTS | January 9, 2011

By 2012, Forrester Research estimates that more than 40 percent of sales will be cross-channel related. Richard Crone, CEO of Crone Consulting, believes that figure will be closer to two-thirds.

He explained that mobile devices present access to 16 channels in one handheld device. Eleven are open channels and not controlled by any one party. These open channels include voice inbound/outbound, SMS, multimedia, mobile e-mail, video, camera+image recognition and wired Internet. Five channels -such as Bluetooth, NFC, GPS and downloadable apps – s do need to be integrated.

Crone believes smartphones will soon dominate the mobile handheld device market.

Forty-seven percent of in-store users take or send a picture of a product to a friend or family member, according to Yahoo! and Nielsen‘s “Mobile Shopping Framework” study. One in five mobile shoppers who have seen advertising during the shopping process say they always look at it.

“What makes a smartphone smart? Access to the Internet,” he said. “By the end of next year, there will be more connections made to the Internet through smartphones than through wired connections. Think about what this means for your retailing environment. The customers walking into your stores will have more access to the Internet than your store employees. Unless you position yourself for this, you may be a victim of it. Mobile is present in every other channel experience, especially the in-store experience.”

For example, Crone said that 3 percent of Best Buy’s online traffic is coming from mobile, but the conversation rate is 25 percent higher than its wired website.

National Retail Federation’s 100th Annual Convention & Expo

Sunday, Jan. 9

1) Using Mobile Payments to Increase the Base of Contactable Customers (9 a.m.)

– The Golden Rule of mCommerce

– Astounding Figures on the Growth of Mobile Banking

– Why Mobile Could Be the Ultimate Cross-Channel Marketing Tool

– What Consumers Want Out of Retailers’ Mobile Apps

– 90% of Consumers Would Pay for Mobile Payment Options

2) Target and ConAgra Foods on Converting Social Media Activity into Sales (10 a.m.)

3) First Data’s Security Panel Offers Tips for Protecting Your Business (11:30 a.m.)

4) IBM on How to Capitalize on the Smarter Consumer (1:45 p.m.)

5) SAP Examines Precision Retailing and the Mobilized Consumer (3 p.m.)

Monday, Jan. 10

1) Deloitte VP Offers Suggestions for Harnessing Power of Technology in Retail (10:30 a.m.)

2) Macy’s, Tesco and Food Lion Executives Analyze Evolving Retail Landscape (11:45 a.m.)

3) Why Bankers Might Not Be Fond of the Tesco Credit Card (12:15 p.m.)

4) Greetings from the Floor at NRF! (1:45 p.m.)

5) Social Commerce: Is It Worth the Effort? (2:45 p.m.)

6) iPad Retail Apps: Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down (3:15 p.m.)

7) Steve Madden and Golfsmith’s Biggest mCommerce Mistakes of 2010 (4:30 p.m.)