AUSTIN, TX – A ForeSee executive at the Mobile Shopping Fall Summit said that since mobile is often being used in conjunction with other mediums, it is key to use the channel to predict and influence consumer shopping.

During the keynote session “Fleeting Vs. Facts: Determining Which Mobile Elements Will Have Long-Term Impact,” a ForeSee executive spoke about the role of analytics in mobile marketing. The session also used brand examples to illustrate data around mobile shoppers.

“Mobile is a direct channel and a companion channel,” said Eric Feinberg, senior director of mobile, media and entertainment at ForeSee, New York.

“The reality is that we see a customer engage with mobile and then they engage with another channel,” he said.

“This is mobile-first – mobile as an influencer of what is to come, mobile as a contributor to another channel.”

Mobile-first
Understanding how mobile serves as a direct and companion channel is key to understanding how marketers should be measuring mobile, per Mr. Feinberg.

To help cut through the anonymity of mobile, marketers can either use loyalty programs or figure out how a consumer is coming into contact with a brand.

Satisfaction is key to giving mobile users the best experience possible.

Interestingly, iOS users have a lower satisfaction than Android users, according to research from ForeSee. This shows how a consumer’s expectation dictates how satisfied a consumer is and iOS users have high expectations.

Additionally, mobile usage is increasingly shifting towards being used at home versus on the go, showing the marketing opportunities available to marketers.

Per Mr. Feinberg, the time spent within mobile apps and on sites does not translate into engagement. Instead, determining how useful and satisfied users are with their mobile experience is a better indicator.

Tab into mobile
According to research from ForeSee, 90 percent of sites accessed through tablets are not optimized for the device. Tablets contribute to significant commerce, but marketers need to be thinking about how to give users a seamless experience tailored to the device instead of treating tablet users the same as Web users.

To help increase satisfaction, mobile payment solutions must be ironed out.

For example, EBay and Amazon consistently rank as having top mobile commerce apps and sites. However, both companies already have solid payment options that help the apps and sites perform well.

Functionality and merchandising are top drivers for mobile satisfaction.

Interestingly, price is not a top priority and is only a piece of what constitutes a satisfied mobile experience.

Often times, marketers use an app’s ratings in the App Store as a primary metric for success. However, marketers need to be measuring more than just this feedback, per Mr. Feinberg.

Instead, marketers can send out push notifications, emails and SMS messages to follow up with consumers after they leave an app.

“The quantity measures that we see – number of downloads, number of clicks, any of those behavioral metrics – don’t tell you what happens next,” Mr. Feinberg said.

“Satisfaction allows us to root through that clutter and understand based on the experience that I am having with mobile now, what is the expectation that I have when I get there?,” he said. “Those two things together are equal in how satisfied someone is.

“Based on how satisfied someone is that will lead to what they do next.”

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York