Online art vendor OverstockArt.com is leveraging its Web resources with mobile offerings, including a mobile site and applications that let consumers buy art from their handsets.

The company decided to tap into mobile after seeing a direct need from consumers with 15 percent of online traffic comes from mobile devices. Additionally, the company says it recognizes a significant amount of views being generated from newsletter opens by crediting the rise in smartphone ownership.

“We had to give a better experience to these high-converting users – a solution that would fit a mobile phone environment, which would be a run-down version of our existing main site,” said Amitai Sasson, vice president of marketing and development at OverstockArt.com, Wichita, KS.

“Creating a mobile site makes us much more accessible to mobile traffic and allows users shopping on-the-go to checkout our products online prior to brick-and-mortar purchases,” he said.

OverstockArt.com distributes wall décor items and brings in 20,000 daily visitors.

Mobile masterpiece
OverstockArt.com rolled out an iPhone app earlier this summer to meet the needs of mobile, art-savvy consumers.

Mobile devices can access the site at http://m.overstockart.com/.

The company is now expanding its mobile with a mobile-optimized site that lets users browse and shop for art pieces.

Consumers can shop more than 60,000 reproduction paintings and ceramic tiles by artist name and category.

The mobile site also lets consumers mix and match frames to artwork before purchasing.

In particular, Overstockart.com believes that a framing option sets it apart from other Web sites, and the company claims that it is the first site in the industry to have a mobile site because of it.

“The goal of the company is to become the destination for wall art on the Internet,” Mr. Sasson said.

Convert on mobile
Having an optimized site is nothing new to the mobile industry, but Overstockart.com realizes that having a mobile site is more than just a trend.

The company claims that before optimizing the site, mobile traffic had a 45 percent lower conversion rate than Web visits, citing a gap that the company knew they had to fill.

Mobile makes sense for a retail Web site that thrives on revenue and sales because as consumers become more comfortable with their devices, they are more likely to buy items directly on them.

By plunging into mobile, the company joins the ranks of mass-merchant retailers also tapping into tech-savvy consumers.

Most recently, Michaels rolled out a mobile-optimized site and mobile coupons. (see story).

“On the long-term, mobile is where it’s at,” Mr. Sasson said.

“Very soon smartphones and mobile shopping will become more and more significant,” he said. “It’s good to join the band wagon now before you are left behind.”

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York