Consumers are drawn to seek out entertainment-led and individualistic shopping choices in what they feel is a ’safe zone’ on mobile, psychologists have concluded. Or, for the layman, shoppers like fun stuff on their phones – so if you want them to buy from you, be entertaining.
Entertainment-driven and partial to ‘guilty pleasures’
According to ’The truth behind smartphone behaviour’ conducted by Clicktale in conjunction with Dr Melumad and Meyer the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, shoppers are pulled in towards entertaining content such as pop culture, sport and ‘guilty pleasures’, rather than scientific facts or hard news.
Some 35% of the analysed consumers are likely to engage with entertaining and sport-related content. Whereas, interest in science, education and regional-specific content was higher for desktop users.
Seeking fast rewards and personalised services
Mobile users demonstrated a clear liking for content offering immediate gratification, such as coupons and clearance items. Shoppers are also more willing to pay a premium for a personalised shopping service. On average, smartphone users are willing to pay 6.5% more for fast shipping compared to desktop users.
Less likely to donate or purchase gifts
The study emphasises the individualistic nature of the mobile mindset, suggesting that mobile clientele are 84% are less likely to donate through give-back programmes in comparison to desktop shoppers.
Mobile devices also play a role when purchasing gifts. In fact, 36% of the surveyed desktop shoppers are more likely to buy gifts from their device, contrasting to mobile users.
“Smartphone use makes us less socially minded and more self-focused. While exploring the various elements of a mobile mindset we found out that it’s characterised by a desire to be entertained and a need for fast, personalised content,” says Dr Shiri Melumad, one of the authors of the research white paper and assistant professor of marketing at The Wharton School.
The research study by Clicktale and Wharton highlights that brands need to move beyond mobile-optimised sites and tailor their experiences on mobile devices based on the insight of customer mindsets and intent.
“Brands are currently missing a huge opportunity because they don’t really understand their customers’ mindsets,” Ori Reshef, vice president of data products and head of data science at Clicktale.
Ori Reshef adds: “Only by analysing all the digital gestures and micro-signals made by customers can brands really identify customer intent and tailor their sites accordingly. The results show that content that appeals to an individual sense of the self, sticky navigation, and an entertainment-first approach will better meet the needs of a mobile mindset and create a more engaging customer experience.”
“Consequently, brands will be able to craft exceptional cross-channel experiences that help build customer loyalty and positively impact the bottom line.”
The research paper combined its proprietary global behaviour data, from more than 1 million unique consumers and 12 million session recordings, on smartphone and PCs, with in-depth academic analysis of the psychology behind this behaviour.
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