The new Internet users in SA are coming online using mobile devices and the success of e-commerce in the country will depend on the online retailers' understanding of the mobile platform.
So said Bryan Nelson, industry head at Google SA, presenting at the uAfrica.com E-commerce Conference 2014 at Gallagher Convention Centre last week.
According to Nelson, there has been talk of how mobile devices will disrupt the way e-commerce is done around the world, especially in Africa. However, he believes the future of mobile has already arrived.
"Disruptive technological change takes longer to arrive and when it does, it happens a lot faster than we can imagine. We are the cutting-edge of the future of retail in SA and it is dependent on mobile Internet," said Nelson.
He noted half of Internet traffic Google sees in SA is through mobile devices.
"If you are an e-commerce player and you have no mobile strategy or no idea what you are going to do with the mobile platform, then chances are your business has already been left behind," said Nelson.
He pointed out that user adoption of mobile Internet is outpacing e-commerce retail. About 32% of shopping online begins with a search on mobile devices.
This is a problem experienced all over the world, but more so in SA because of the mobile penetration, said Nelson, explaining that retailers need to look at this platform as adding to their business's competitive-edge.
Nelson recommended e-commerce retailers implement mobile optimised Web sites to improve the mobile user's experience and possibly turn a mobile Net surfer into a customer.
He added that most customers using mobile to buy goods online abandon the process before making a purchase because there are too many barriers and the check-out process is not mobile-friendly.
Therefore, to keep customers, retailers need to simplify the checkout process if they want to make more online sales.
There is a stronger connectivity between mobile devices and stores than there is between desktops and the stores, because of this, mobile is the bridge for interconnected retail, concluded Nelson.
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