The company decided to launch a mobile site after it saw more consumers accessing its Web site via a mobile device. The mobile site is powered by Usablenet.

“Our business is booming,” said Joel Katz, chief operating officer at Ashford.com, New York. “With increased traffic and transactions – and the approaching holidays – we knew we had to offer a mobile-optimized experience this year.

“We turned to Usablenet due to its strong reputation and commitment to deliver in time for the holiday rush,” he said. “We have successfully implemented their solution for mobile devices and will create a tablet-friendly version of the site after the New Year.

“Although our site has many robust features, we focused on keeping the experience simple, elegant and easy to use.”

Ashford.com is a luxury retailer of watches and jewelry that sells up to 80 percent off retail prices.

Mobile shopping
Consumers can access the mobile site by entering http://www.ashford.com on their mobile browser.

Consumers can shop by brand, specific jewelry, new arrivals and clearance.

Additionally, there is a search function at the top of the site that helps consumers look for a specific item, which is great for users looking for something specific.

“Watches and jewelry, our primary product categories, are popular gift items and an emotional purchase,” Mr. Katz said. “We’ve found that gift givers and our broader customer base like to research and view watches multiple times, often while on the go.

“By giving them another touch point and greater access to our products we’re helping them get comfortable that they are making the right purchase and giving the right gift,” he said.

“Our mobile traffic is approaching 10 percent of site visitors we knew we wanted to make it easier for shoppers receiving our emails and finding us online to quickly research and complete their purchases.”

Key features
Other features of the mobile site include a full mobile checkout with PayPal and Vault Promo pricing for members.

Ashford will also be launching a version of its site for iPads and tablets after the New Year to reach its growing population.

“In the last year, we’ve been heavily focused on improving the customer experience, including major design updates and overhauling our checkout process and on-site search,” Mr. Katz said.

“The mobile experience lagged, however, due to our lack of a mobile-optimized site,” he said. “We’ve changed that with our mobile launch, and plan to take it one step further with our upcoming tablet-optimized version.”

Final Take
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York