Canadians Love Using Smartphones To Shop

It’s no secret that people love using their smartphones. These days, our phones are no longer just for making calls. No, those days passed us a long time ago. Today, a smartphone is a mini-computer. In the palms of our hands is the ability to surf the internet, communicate via social media, play games, listen to music, take pictures and…oh yeah, make telephone calls. So, as a business owner, it only makes sense to be accessible on the worldwide web.

And we’re not just talking about having a website here. The days of simply having an online presence have also passed us. Today, businesses need to be interactive. It’s important to give would-be shoppers the opportunity to not just browse items, but to buy directly from your website. E-commerce is steadily on the rise. No surprise there. But according to Cory McNutt on AndroidHeadlines.com, Canadians are using their smartphones more than ever to make purchases.

“In 2013 they spent $3.45 billion with a growth rate projected at 142-percent from 2013 to 2016,” he reveals, referring to the findings of a PayPal and Ipsos study, “In Canada, a fifth, or 19-percent, of online shoppers report that they have made a purchase in the past 12 months via their smartphone and another 15-percent made a purchase this past year via their internet connected tablet.” McNutt goes on to note that more than half of those who use their smartphones to shop are between 18-34 years old.

Evidently, “the Millennials or Generation Y” age groups are having quite an impact on the ways in which business owners are selling their products. As a result, it’s important for business owners to be conscious of the ways that they can attain the most success in making sales. And that would be focusing on mobile apps to make buying via smartphones easier. McNutt points out that many popular retailers are taking advantage of this.

According to the study, “64-percent of customers prefer to make their online purchases through an app and 52-percent via a mobile browser at a website. When it comes to Canadians, nearly half the shoppers prefer to use an app and only 14-percent prefer using their browser.” McNutt goes on to reveal that the main reason people are taking to the internet to make their purchases is because it is fast and convenient. “Pure and simple,” he states.

It’s important to keep in mind that people not only like using smartphones for shopping, but they use them in order to enjoy better shopping experiences. McNutt notes that researching products is a big part of the craze when it comes to smartphone use. “About 17-percent use their smartphone for research and then make the actual purchase at the store,” he writes, “14-percent order their food or coffee ahead using an app or browser, 11-percent scan a barcode or QR code and 10-percent will tap their smartphone at a register to pay for their purchase.”

So what does this mean for your business? Is your website mobile friendly? Are you allowing your website’s visitors to make purchases directly from your site? It should go without saying that providing online shoppers with the option to buy from your site is integral in the current world of business. As mentioned earlier, e-commerce is only getting more popular. And apparently, smartphone shopping is on the rise as well.

As Canadian POS Corporation, we offer an e-commerce solution that enables you to easily and securely accept and process all credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express online. So when Canadian shoppers are researching products and services that you offer, you can turn online browsing into online shopping. Secure real-time transaction processing through your website by calling us at 1-877-748-2884 today!