Mobile Technologies for Mobile Shopping

The Importance of M-shopping

In the recent era of globalisation and digitalisation, the people across the world prefer mobile technology for conducting daily activities and people are interested to do online shopping through mobile technologies and application. It is convenient to all the people worldwide where they feel comfortable to utilise mobile technology for conducting their activities. It provides very convenient and easy to use the system to conduct the business transaction where people in the recent years are educated and they are interested to utilise the mobile technologies for online transactions. M-shopping provides an opportunity to the business firms to promote their products and services through the mobile technology where they can attract more customers in the market. In addition to these, the organisations can expand their business and access the market worldwide through mobile technologies and thus the m-shopping provides a scope to the corporate firms to access the customers in the international market and promote the brand successfully. On the other hand, it is beneficial for the customer’s also to access the products and services of the firms and make effective purchase decision through mobile technologies.

It is a simple way to make effective purchase decision through m-shopping where the customers can access all the available information as well as see the variety of options for choosing the best products and services according to their needs ad preferences. Hereby, the growth of m-shopping is increasing at a rapid rate ad it would be beneficial for both the customers and the organisations to increase the purse in the market. Moreover, through m-shopping, the companies can reduce cost of operation and develop streamline process to deliver high quality products and services to the customers (Pantano, and Priporas, 2016). The customers are also beneficial for m-shopping facilities where they can make purchase decision as per their preferences and get the quality products at their home. It is hereby good marketing tool for the companies to target the customers and strengthen their customer’s base. The customers are also interested to utilise the m-shopping practice and make payment through online to get the products at their own location. It is important to create values for the customers as well as improve the performance of the companies in the market. The m-shopping is hereby advantageous and it is important for both of the companies and customers also to create values for the stakeholders.

The M-shopping Business Modelling

The business modelling of the m-shopping is mainly business to customer practice where the organisation sends the products and services to the customers directly via the suppliers or the distributors. In this process, the customers try to utilise mobile application for m-shopping where the people can see all the alternative options and varieties of the products and services of the organisations. After seeing the products, the customers select the products for sending the products to the wish list of the customers. Among the wish list, the customers place orders through the mobile application. In this context, the organisations try to maintain the stock of the products through warehouse maintenance (Gro, M., 2015). In addition to these, as per the business model of the m-shopping, the organisations also hire the suppliers and distributors to maintain the supply chain, track the orders and distribute the quality products efficiently to the customers within effective time. In this regard, the business model of business to customers is effective for developing the m-shopping and enhances the performance of the business firms in the market. The organisations try to upload all the relevant information about the pricing, products availability, variety so that the customers can have the access of all the information which would be helpful for making effective purchase decision of the customers.

After placing the order, the customers try to choose the payment option were they can found both the cash on delivery or any other online banking option through which the customers can transfer the money for the purchase. After transacting the money for the purchase, the organisations try to send the project to the nearest store for final delivery. In this regard, the supplier and distributors are well efficient and they work proficiently to maintain the products safely and deliver it to the customers within effective time. The organisations develop effective business model to directly interact with the customers and develop the mobile application to communicate with the customers and resolve the customer’s queries (Pereira, de Fátima Salgueiro and Rita, 2016). Through this process, the customers can provide reviews about the products or services or provide any opinion according to their purchase experience. In the business model, proper warehouse management and the strategy of managing the suppliers and distributors to cooperate with them and distribute the products to the customers. in this regard, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the implementation of GPRS system further helps the suppliers and distributors to enhance internal and external communication as well as track the orders properly so that they can manage their warehouse and deliver the quality products to the customers according to their preferences. Moreover, the General Data Protection Act 2016 is also implemented in the m-shopping business model where the customers can safely share their information with the organisation because the organisation assures that the shared information and personal data of the customers will be protected with the computerised system and cloud computing, which further helps the organisations to develop trust and loyalty among the customers and cooperate with all the buyers with communication and building string relationship with them so that proper m-shopping activities can be developed (Nilashi et al., 2015).

The mobile shopping platform is advantageous for the customers to conduct many activities for purchasing any particular product or service from a particular brand. In this regard, mobile banking is one of the best use of mobile shopping platform where the people and utilise the mobile website or application for conducting the banking services so that they can perform the banking functions. In this regard, the people can transfer money over personal mobile application of the banking institutions or they can transfer money through online banking which is common place now a days where majority of the banking transaction are conducted over online activities. On the other hand, mobile ticketing and booking the tourism sights is another use of the customers where hey utilise the mobile shopping for booking purpose. The people try to make bookings and receive confirmation over the mobile application where digital tickets and boarding pass can be sent on the mobile. Apart from that, there are other sights and mobile application of travel companies through which the people can book the hotels for travelling or confirm their tickets. Moreover, for shopping purpose, there are many mobile applications for clothing, grocery products or electronics and communication products from which the customers can choose and make effective purchase decision.

Apart from that, e-bills are another strategy through which it is possible for the people to make vouchers and get loyalty points through the mobile application. Online auction is another use where the customers can be engaged with online activities for auction. The stock market is another important useful activity which can be conducted over the mobile application in which the people are engaged with the reports and stock market trading over mobile application. There are other applications through which people can conduct the international trade for transferring the raw materials or he grocery products, which enhance the business activities and international trade (Carter, S. and Yeo, A.C.M., 2016). Hereby, the above mentioned activities are important use of the customers where the people are efficient to utilise the mobile shopping facilities and use other mobile applications to make effective purchase decision, transfer of money and other online payments, stock market activities, online ticketing and booking as well as shopping of final goods and services.

During the coursework, it is possible to gather in depth information about the importance of mobile technology through which I come to know that majority of the people in the recent era of digitalisation prefer mobile shopping for the benefits of choosing the quality products and services as per their affordability and choice and preferences and they can get the products at home. I also come to understand the business model of the organisations through which they try to provide mobile application and other activities over online services for retaining the customers. During the research, I am also focusing on the different use of m-shopping and I come to know that, it is advantageous for use to do the online activities and we can use the mobile technology for ticket booking, e-commerce, online shopping, money transfer and share market activities. In this project, the use and importance of m-shopping and it benefits for both the organisations and the customers will be helpful to influence the customers in future to conduct more online activities. I would aim to improve the research practice and I will try to gather more in depth knowledge about the business model and the activities for developing the mobile application so that it would be possible to enhance m-shopping growth.

References

Carter, S. and Yeo, A.C.M., 2016. Mobile apps usage by Malaysian business undergraduates and postgraduates: implications for consumer behaviour theory and marketing practice. Internet Research, 26(3), pp.733-757.

Gro, M., 2015. Mobile shopping: a classification framework and literature review. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 43(3), pp.221-241.

Nilashi, M., Ibrahim, O., Mirabi, V.R., Ebrahimi, L. and Zare, M., 2015. The role of Security, Design and Content factors on customer trust in mobile commerce. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 26, pp.57-69.

Pantano, E. and Priporas, C.V., 2016. The effect of mobile retailing on consumers' purchasing experiences: A dynamic perspective. Computers in human behavior, 61, pp.548-555.

Pereira, H.G., de Fátima Salgueiro, M. and Rita, P., 2016. Online purchase determinants of loyalty: The mediating effect of satisfaction in tourism. Journal of Retailing and consumer Services, 30, pp.279-291.