New Rules for Retailers in the iPad Era

By Brad Tuckman, ksckreate.com

In the world of tablet devices, the iPad is currently king. While many have tried, few have created a digital device that rivals Apple’s tablet. Once again Apple has created a lifestyle product and its popularity is proven by the numbers -- the iPad is estimated to sell almost 30 million units in 2011 alone.



Along with the growing popularity of the iPad, it’s increasingly popular to use mobile devices in the online shopping process. In fact, Forrester research shows that 49% of consumers are shopping less in stores, and predicts that tablet commerce will be the “hot” shopping platform in 2011. In order to evolve with this shift in shopping behavior, it’s important for retailers to include the iPad in their ecommerce strategy.



However, the iPad presents new challenges for retailers. From how and where the device is used to the technical limitations presented by not supporting Flash. The world’s most popular tablet has created both an opportunity and a risk for merchants; retailers are now faced with “new rules” in the iPad era, and to be successful, retailers need to take the following rules into consideration.



Create a cutting edge, iPad compatible website

To properly respond to the consumer’s shifting desire to shop from their iPad, retailers need to empower customers on their devices, making it as easy as possible to understand a product without being in a brick and mortar store. One strategy for achieving this is to incorporate iPad-compatible rich media onto their website. For example, a retailer can now integrate non-Flash 360-degree product imagery on their site, allowing the consumer to emulate the in-store experience by viewing the product in ways that a simple photo is not capable of. In fact, the “Mobile Shopper Insights for 2011” mobile commerce survey shows that 54% of mobile shoppers believe that 360º product views have the power to prompt them to buy.

Retailers might also consider adding mobile-compliant HTML5 video to their site to garner brand trust and command attention. While it may sound like technical jargon, HTML5 is going to be revolutionary for both the online and the mobile shopping experience. Why? Well, HTML5 will move what has been performed by plug-ins or downloads, including video playback, to consumers' browsers, providing a faster and more streamlined experience. HTML5 also enables programmers to cache web site content in the mobile web browser, thus allowing for more robust design. The new language allows programmers to access some of the innate features of smartphones, such as a camera or GPS system. In the end, HTML5 is going to allow mobile-commerce sites to look and feel more like a mobile app.



Retailers can also optimize their site for easy touch navigation, which is a key feature of the iPad and many popular mobile devices. Integrating touch navigation will allow the consumer to fluidly rotate and interact with the product on the screen.



Create an application specifically for the iPad

Some retailers may find that creating an iPad compliant site is simply not enough, and want to invest in an app specifically for the iPad. This strategy can be costly, but also provides an improved customer experience, which can result in a big pay off if a significant portion of the retailer’s target audience is shopping on this platform. Gilt Group is one example of a company reaping the benefits of incorporating the iPad in their bottom line strategy. The most expensive item purchased from Gilt Group, a $24,000 watch, was purchased on an iPad. Gilt Group has since launched their iPad app. Restoration Hardware also created a successful iPad app, which is essentially a mechanism for downloading their 300+ page catalog and showcasing their products. The app downloads the catalog onto the iPad, allowing consumers to flip through pages without an internet connection. Additional features include the Add to Cart button that provides other shopping suggestions, a check out process that is embedded within the app, and an automatic update of the next version of the catalog, days before it becomes available to the rest of the public.



Measurement

Of course, as with any other change in an ecommerce strategy, it’s important to measure the results to ensure the strategy is providing a return that justifies the investment. Analytics will also help retailers to better understand the shopping habits of consumers, from which browsers are being used to the behavioral habits of the customer. When measuring the results of adding iPad-compatible, rich media to a website, it is important to monitor core site metrics such as visits per product, percent of time spent viewing a product, time on site and what platforms the site is being accessed from. For example, our clients at KSC Kreate have seen that the iPad is the most frequently used mobile platform to access their sites, and shoppers are viewing more pages when on the iPad than those accessing the site from other platforms like Android or BlackBerry. Likewise, many of our clients have seen an increase in sales, average page views, and time on site after implementing mobile-compliant rich media on their site. Some have seen an increase of more than double the average time spent on site.



The full capabilities of including the iPad in an ecommerce strategy are still to be seen as more retailers adopt the technology. However, it is certain that many of the retailers who have optimized their sites and included tablet commerce in their strategy have seen a boost in sales, page views, and average time on site. To remain competitive, retailers need to consider the iPad as yet another tool to drive conversion and increase sales.



Brad Tuckman is founder and president of KSC Kreate, a leading provider of visual content and software for the nation’s top retailers and consumer products groups (ksckreate.com). He is a trained photographer with a degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology and over 17 years of experience as a business leader.