Mobile data will play a key role as retail habits evolve

More than ever before, our smartphones have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. We rarely let the devices out of our sight for longer than 10 seconds. We use them for everything, from texting to reading emails to checking the day's weather.

Of course, we also use them quite frequently for shopping, and in the retail industry, this is something to think about. Because so many consumers today are picking up their phones and conducting mobile searches to find the next product to buy, it's important that businesses capitalize on this trend. How can they sharpen their mobile marketing strategies and get ahead?

There's no doubt that more information about people's mobile tendencies is crucial. With a higher level of data quality in this area, any merchant can achieve at a high level.

The key to smartphone satisfaction
It should be fairly obvious why people use their smartphones so much in shopping these days - it's a matter of convenience. They want to pick up a device that's easy to use, tap a few buttons and complete their transactions quickly and painlessly.

Recent research verifies that it's all about speed. According to Econsultancy, a survey from xAd and Telmetrics found that quick mobile transactions are key - 35 percent of consumers who use their phones for retail are hoping to complete their purchases within the next hour. Another 20 percent want to finish today. People aren't just browsing their mobile shopping platforms - they're ready to buy immediately.

This is a widespread thing. Telmetrics found that 75 percent of shoppers have converted a mobile purchase recently or plan to in the near future, and 46 percent of shoppers say mobile is "the most important media" for making purchases.

The role of quality data
It should be clear, therefore, that retail organizations need to have clear and comprehensive data about what makes their mobile customers tick. Data is key for driving engagement - if you have evidence of what types of products people will appreciate, you can market your choice items aggressively and thus stand a better chance of holding people's interest.

There's no excuse for relying on dirty data when it comes to mobile commerce. M-commerce is a way of doing business that's fast and requires peak efficiency. If you're relying on faulty information about how your customers operate, your weaknesses will be quickly exposed. Clean data is key in today's high-tech era.