Daily deal boutique site Jane.com has seen sales stemming from mobile and handheld devices account for 70 percent of total revenue, following the June 2014 rollout of its iOS application.

The site, which primarily caters to women, deal enthusiasts and online shoppers, has found the right sales ingredient in the iOS app and recently released Android app. Jane.com believes mobile offers a substantial advantage over competitors in the daily deal space, as many other sites do not offer responsive Web design or shopping apps.

“When you boil it down, a marketer’s main job is: reach out to and connect with their customers,” said Mike McEwan, CEO and founder of Jane.com, Lehi, UT. “By centralizing our efforts to a ‘mobile-first approach,’ we’re changing the equation.

“We are lessening the gap between us and our customers,” he said. “The improvements we continually make to our app will lessen that gap even more.

“Rather than focusing on how we can go to them, we’re focusing on how we can make it easier for them to come to us.”

Easy checkout
Jane.com placed a spotlight on simplicity with the iOS rollout last summer and recent Android app introduction. Consumers are able to enjoy a user-friendly interface and sleek design that enables them to view clothing items, read product descriptions and share favorite pieces on social media.

“Our demographic is almost entirely female,” Mr. McEwan said. “And many of them love to socialize, meaning they are using their smartphones all day for texting, calling, and consuming social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.).

“We join conversations on these social channels and have strong social followings. It was a natural fit that we create mobile apps since our users are already using their smartphones for so many other things during the day.”

The one-step checkout is likely a major draw for mobile shoppers. Jane.com integrated with mobile payment platform Braintree to develop the streamlined checkout process, which enables users to tap and pay once they have already entered their credit card information.

Additionally, the iOS app enables users to view all the latest deals, and filter by popularity or time left before expiration. Those who prefer to shop their desired items directly may search by category, such as home décor, clothing, accessories, baby, kids and miscellaneous.

Fans of specific items may also easily share the product listings via a slew of social media networks, including Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter, by clicking the respective icon above the product description.

The site could also stand to offer in-app assistance to shoppers who perhaps are not aware of its extensive offerings or are looking to find a particular product in a short amount of time.

According to a report from Contact Solutions, consumers are increasingly looking to recommendations and assistance options within mobile apps during the shopping experience, suggesting that merchants should not overlook the initial buying experience in their efforts to streamline the checkout process (see story).

“Since 2014, people in the U.S. spend more time online via phones than desktops/notebooks and leading retailers are adapting their practices, and following the money, to users’ new habits and preferences,” said Ken Morris, principal, Boston Retail Partners, Boston. “The younger generations have grown-up in a digital world and their lives revolve around their smartphones.

“This requires retailers to refocus their approach to ‘selling to my daughter, not my mother’ and shift their marketing strategy accordingly – to be focused on mobile,” he said. “According to Nielsen research, mobile users spend 89 percent of their time on apps and only 11 percent of their time on Internet browsers.

“While a mobile responsive Web site is a requirement for all retailers with ecommerce, a well-designed app can elevate the shopping experience and increase customer loyalty and sales.”

Possible updates
The site should consider adding streamlined homepage facets to future updates, potentially including widgets for quicker shortcuts. It could potentially benefit from offering some customizable content within its app, such as personalized deals or widgets to help consumers sort through the extensive inventory.

For example, Zappos is making the shopping process even more streamlined for its Android customers by updating its mobile application to include a series of personalized widgets, proving that offering in-app recommendations based on previous purchasing behavior is a valuable strategy for mobile and online retailers (see story).

Ultimately, the 70 percent of total revenue coming from mobile platforms displays the willingness of on-the-go consumers to shop via their personal devices. Jane.com’s ability to hone in on mobile gives it a leg up on its competitors in the daily deal and boutique space.

“Since our app was released in July last year, we have seen desktop sessions decrease 1-2 percent month-over-month along with small declines on our mobile responsive site (tablet and mobile) as native app growth increases an average of 3-4 percent each month,” Jane.com’s Mr. McEwan said. “The number of transactions and revenue follows a very similar trend each month.

“But that doesn’t mean all the new native app traffic is coming from existing users who abandon their shopping on our Web site,” he said. “We have actually found that the native app is a huge customer acquisition channel.

“We have thousands of organic downloads each month and even more downloads coming from app advertisements.”

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York