mobilegroove » Mobile Content

Amazon Raises The Stakes; Making Mobile Shopping Less Hassle

Alfred DeRose | Tego Interactive — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:59:29 +0000

When Amazon kicked off the month by taking the wraps off its Amazon Mobile Payments Service, or MPS (a technology that includes a set of APIs allowing mobile developers to provide payment options to their customers within mobile websites and mobile applications), it introduced more than just another way for people to pay for stuff using their phone; it set a usability benchmark that more established players, particularly mobile operators, could find hard to beat.

For one, the service allows for integration of Amazon’s “1-Click” checkout, the feature that lets customers make purchases using credit card information stored within their Amazon.com accounts. In practice, customers sign in using an MPS-enabled app and then, after the service verifies them, they can by stuff using their mobile phone without having to sign in again. This is ideal for enabling recurring and micropayments in the mobile environment.

As this post from ReadWriteWeb shows us, it only takes four simple steps for a mobile shopper to buy something using this new technology.

But it’s more than a no-brainer for mobile shoppers. We’re told that developers and merchants already using Amazon Payments service on their websites can essentially go mobile without additional development work. This is because the service detects when people are using a mobile device (as opposed to a PC) and automatically switches over to the mobile optimized payment interface.

Connect the dots, and Amazon has moved us all a giant leap toward the end goal for the industry – the one-click-purchase. Of course, we still have a laundry-list of issues we have to solve around content discovery – finding the content and stuff we want to buy in the first place. But services like Amazon’s are well in line with what people expect – even demand – of their mobile experiences.

The critical importance of having a shortcut to payments is perhaps best put by Alex Robson from TeleBilling, who told delegates at World Telemedia Malta in April that making it hard for people to buy content is a recipe for failure. As he put it: “It’s simple: one click: buy, two clicks: bye-bye.”

Think that through.

And while you do, think back to my earlier post, where I underscored the importance of having a streamlined payment process. Apple gets it – in part because it relies on credit cards, bypassing mobile operators and SMS or WAP billing schemes – payment methods that are either clunky or require us to input loads of information with a small keypad. Nokia’s Ovi store has a way to go, as my own road test of the service demonstrates, but there are clear indications they are moving in the right direction.

Some could argue that it’s the choice of payment method that is the issue here. Sure, credit card payment has its share of benefits. (I’m thinking here of ubiquity, ease of use and the fact that – at about 4% – the charges are considerably less for content creators and app distributors than the 50% or more cut carriers take for operator billing.) At the end of the day, a lot speaks in favor of credit cards over operator billing and clumsy WAP schemes.

But I want to step back and focus on what really matters:

And if you doubt for a second that users will vote with their feet when stuff is tough, then consider the bane of online commerce: the abandoned shopping cart, the uncompleted transaction.

Studies estimate that up to 75% of all shopping carts are abandoned before the sale is closed.

Why? In many cases, it’s the checkout. Respondents complain the process is too long, requires too much information, or is downright confusing.

If people are giving up online where they have large screens, full keyboards and sit-back time, then imagine what how short the attention spans (and tempers) must be when people are tying to buy on the go.

In mobile, the question regarding whether its WAP billing, credit cards e-wallets, or operator-led initiatives like Payforit is immaterial. What matters is the quality of the user experience and the clicks it takes for people to buy what they want.

Several of our clients – including a European mobile operator in the middle of a mobile storefront revamp – have asked us to design interfaces that will make their choice of payment method easier for people to use. Based on this recent work I have put together the first in a series of Tego Interactive “cheat sheets” focused on the do’s and don’ts of integrating online and mobile business.

1. Reach rules: Choose a payment method that fits your business objectives that is ubiquitous and relevant to your customer audience. As I pointed out, credit cards have their advantages, but teens don’t generally have one – and neither do consumers in emerging markets. Make your choice based on what your customers want and will appreciate.
2. Combine and connect: Keep in mind what Amazon and other Web giants are doing and why. It’s all about understanding what people can do on their PCs and what they will be willing to do on their mobile phones, and then making sure the interfaces match the task. Don’t require them to input a lot on information on their mobile phones. And don’t deny them the opportunity to browse through cool stuff on their PC (perhaps complemented by big, bright images; rich media; and communities where they can rate, rank and discuss things related to the products/offers – the works)
3. Experience first: Don’t get so caught up in the UI that you forget the user. In our business less is more. It’s easy to fall in love with super-cool ways of doing things but in most cases plain and practical beat out flashy hands-down. Simple and elegant – it’s the best solution, and often the hardest to build.

It’s all about having payment processes that are built on a deep understanding of the unique characteristics of online and mobile and our requirements for easy payments. Get the mix right, put the user at the center and you can bet it will encourage people to complete their transactions.

InfoGin Sees 20%+ More Mobile Internet Usage Across Customer Carriers, Telefonica Mobile Announces InfoGin Deployment

Peggy Anne Salz — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:57:52 +0000

As regular readers might recall, bnetTV and MSearchGroove joined up during CTIA to produce a hard-hitting series of interviews focusing on the mobile trends and mobile companies that matter. To provide you the proper context in which to understand and appreciate these companies and their impact on the mobile space, I have also signed on with bnetTV to publish a weekly column looking at my pick of the movers and shakers. In my first column, I chose to focus on InfoGin, a provider of content adaptation solutions with an impressive track record among mobile operators (35+ to date) and mobile search companies. (You can view the entire video interview by clicking on the image. It’s one of 25+ I conducted during CTIA, so I hope you will explore the others as well. My analysis will be posted here and features in bnetTV’s weekly newsletter.)

So talk about timing! I finish the column and then Eran Wyler, InfoGin CEO, pre-briefs me on the news that Telefonica in Spain, a mobile operator with around 20 million subscribers, has officially deployed InfoGin’s solution.

In fact, Telefonica deployed the solution few months ago and already shows a significant increase in mobile data services. According to a press statement, the solution fits with the operator’s overall strategy to facilitate access to mobile content and deliver services to its subscribers “giving an optimized access to Web sites that aren’t mobile compliant.”By way of background, the prime contractor in the deal, ATOS Origin – an international IT services company – was responsible for overall integration of InfoGin’s Intelligent Mobile Platform, a patented approach that lets users access any Internet website from their mobile, independent of the device capabilities. It’s a feature Eran tells me has allowed InfoGin’s mobile operator customers to chalk up “20 percent [growth in mobile data usage] every month, and sometimes much more than that.”

Another stat that speaks volumes refers to what users are accessing.
Absolutely – made-for-mobile websites have their place in the scheme of things. However, Eran reports that a whopping 70 percent of requests his system sees (across the Far East, The U.S., and Europe) is for Internet sites. “There is huge demand for Internet content and less demand for mobile content. However, the most important thing is to enable the user unlimited choice and that means access to both.”

Here is an excerpt of the interview:

MOBILE SEARCH: It was during CTIA that InfoGin announced a strategic agreement with Microsoft to adapt Web sites for Microsoft’s Live Search Mobile service. InfoGin offers similar services – through similar deals – to companies including AOL and Motricity, a company that offers federated mobile search as a managed service. (And let’s not forget the ties between Yahoo and its partner Novarra.) So why the increased interest by mobile search companies in content adaptation? As Eran sees it, it’s the logical next step. Devices such as the iPhone and smartphones turn the pressure up on the industry to deliver a better user experience, and mobile search companies are no exception. They must be able to display results from the Internet that work on mobile, Eran says. “When Microsoft presents the results from the Web and the user clicks on the link, they will be directed to the real Internet site from [their] mobile device.”

iPHONE & GOOGLE: Neither negates the need for content adaptation solutions. In the case of the iPhone, issues with Flash and Javascript create even more of a demand for InfoGin. “Surfing the Internet on the iPhone today is not without its shortcomings….And it’s not only with the iPhone. New devices from Samsung and LG [for example] are also facing the same issues.” At the other end of the spectrum, Eran says Google’s Android creates more challenges for everyone – and more opportunities for InfoGin. “The market becomes much more complex with the new players entering the market….So it’s surely to become more fragmented.”

MOBILE ADVERTISING: This is the one to watch over the next weeks (and I will). Eran would not disclose details at this time, but he did hint at plans to integrate mobile advertising into the equation by providing content companies (“like AOL, MapQuest and others”) tools to build campaigns for mobile. “We are also talking to the advertisers to show them that they can reach any mobile device with the mobile campaigns, and build campaigns for mobile easy and fast.”

My take: InfoGin has been high on my radar for several years now. However, the advance of the mobile Web – catapulted onto center stage by the iPhone and other schemes that encourage users to explore Internet websites and apps on their mobile devices – plays overwhelmingly in the company’s favor. Consider the recent news that InfoGin has raised more than $10 million in a third round of funding from Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Coral Capital Management.

Connect the dots and it’s clear a comprehensive mobile service must present results and destinations that have been optimized for viewing on a mobile device. Squeezing a Web page on to a mobile phone display or retro-fitting content (such as a banner ad from the fixed Internet), are flawed approaches that can alienate users and ultimately reduce content purchases. Smartphones and the iPhone raise the bar – and they do not remove the requirement for content adaptation solutions. To the contrary, these devices have whet users’ appetites for a real Internet browsing experience on mobile – and they will likely vote with their feet if they are offered anything less.

Music Leads The New Wave Of Content-Recommendation Services / Mobile Media (March 2007)

Peggy Anne Salz — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 14:15:24 +0000

Mobile search engines are a potent way to generate value, but recommendation engines, which encourage users to keep coming back for similar content, might pay bigger dividends in the long term.

mobilegroove » Mobile Content

Amazon Raises The Stakes; Making Mobile Shopping Less Hassle

InfoGin Sees 20%+ More Mobile Internet Usage Across Customer Carriers, Telefonica Mobile Announces InfoGin Deployment

Music Leads The New Wave Of Content-Recommendation Services / Mobile Media (March 2007)

Innovative Smartphones Transform The Road Warrior’s Toolkit (March 2007)

Combating A Variety Of Intellectual Property Concerns / Protecting Intellectual Property Report/ Wall Street Journal Europe (31 Jan 2007)

Business Opportunities Beckon As Location-Based Cell-Phone Searches Boost Mobile Market & Mobile Devices Seek To Capture The Underserved Senior Market / Wall Street Journal Asia – 3GSM Asia Mobile Communications Report (Oct 2006)

No Limits / TALK (June 2006)

Djezzy Flexes Its Muscle / TALK (June 2006)

Building Momentum / New Media Age (June 2006)

Divide & Conquer / Mobile Communications International (May 2006)

Come Together / Telematics Update (May 2006)

I-Hatch Ventures—Mobile Industry & Investment Opportunities (May 2006)

The Personal Touch / Telematics Update (May 2006)

Ready For Kick-Off / New Media Age (April 2006)

Learning To Go / eContent Magazine (April 2006)

Intelligent Use Of Information Is A Powerful Corporat e Tool / Wall Street Journal (Asia) – High Performance Report (April 2006)

Qpass Connections Industry Newsletter / Qpass (Feb 2006)

Skype Takes VOIP On The Road / eContent Magazine (Jan 2006)

Qpass Connections Industry Newsletter / Qpass (Jan 2006)

Shake Rattle And Call / New Media Age (Dec 2005)

Qpass Connections Industry Newsletter / Qpass (Nov 2005)

People Powered: Content & Collaboration Combine Forces / eContent Magazine (Nov 2005)

When Will We Ever Learn? / Mobile Communications International (Oct 2005)

Qpass Connections Industry Newsletter / Qpass (Oct 2005)

Dazzling Devices for a Digital Home – Wall Street Journal (Asia) Ceatec 2005 Report (Sept 2005)

Qpass Connections Industry Newsletter / Qpass (Aug 2005)

Risky Business / Mobile Entertainment Magazine (July 2005)

Qpass Connections Industry Newsletter / Qpass (July 2005)

Culturally Aware Communications / TheFeature (June 2005)

Spam Scams : Internet Fraudsters Find Innovative Methods to Fleece Users / Wall Street Journal (Asia) – Communicasia Report (June 2005)

Broadband Networks Are Bringing Digital Homes Closer to Reality / Wall Street Journal (Asia) Communicasia Report (June 2005)

Clinching The Sale / TheFeature (June 2005)

Unwanted Visitors? / Mobile Europe Magazine (June 2005)

Art Finds A Mobile Home / eContent Magazine (June 2005)

Random House Gets VOCEL : Invests in Mobile Edutainment / eContent Magazine (May 2005)

Life In The Fast Lane / TheFeature (May 2005)

Follow The Leader / TheFeature (April 2004)

Delivering The Double WAMI / TheFeature (March 2005)

How The Future Sounds / TheFeature (March 2005)

Phones Come First / TheFeature (Feb 2005)

When Mobile Communications Really Take Off / GSM Evolution Magazine / 3GSM Special Issue (Feb 2005)

Great Expectations / Mobile Communications International (Feb 2005)

Calling Without Cellcos / TheFeature (Jan 2005)

Calling P2P / eContent Magazine (Jan 2005)

Siemens Mobile Data Charging / Siemens (Feb 2004)