The company teamed up with Usablenet to help upgrade the new mobile experience. Additionally, in the past year, mobile traffic to The Container Store increased by 62 percent, with further growth anticipated in 2013.

“The Container Store wanted to create a mobile experience that was as seamless as possible – one that aligned closely with the desktop site,” said Carin van Vuuren, chief marketing officer of Usablenet, New York.

“The refreshed site showcases mobile-optimized versions of features found on the mobile site and also provides an easy-to-navigate experience that is both deeply engaging and socially integrated,” she said.

Deeper integration
Recognizing the importance of an engaging mobile experience, The Container Store sought to make more features from the desktop site available on mobile.

The new mobile site homepage features navigational icons that link to specific product categories.

The social integration feature lets consumers share products across Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social networks. This way, consumers can share their favorite finds with friends and family.

There is also an advanced mini-cart. For example, at any point in the browsing journey, customers can access items in their cart via an overlay that does not navigate away from the page they are on.

From there, consumers can choose to proceed to a streamlined checkout or to return to the page they are browsing.

The new mobile experience also lets customers write reviews and rate products directly from their mobile phones.

“The Container Store’s new next-generation mobile experience includes comprehensive social integration, visual navigation and streamlined browsing and checkout processes,” Ms. van Vuuren said. “The site also allows for the sharing of products across a variety of social networks and showcases a dynamic overlay with the Container Store’s Twitter feed.

“The revamped site also features shoppable hotspots on banner images which highlight products and provide customers with suggestions on related items they might also like to purchase.”

Past efforts
In 2011, the organization and storage retailer rolled out a mobile-optimized site to increase purchase intent, as well as have a presence on any device that its tech-savvy customers were using (see story).

Last year, The Container Store looked to strengthen its Web, tablet and mobile commerce strategy via an initiative that centered around interactive digital catalogs (see story).

“The Container Store recognizes the importance of mobile as a critical channel to drive customer engagement and keep the brand relevant,” Ms. van Vuuren said.

“Shoppers are increasingly mobile, and it is imperative for retailers to develop experiences that leverage mobile as a key part of overall digital and brand strategy,” she said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York