International retailer LamaLoLi, an online retailer of Disney, Star Wars and many other kids’ licensed apparel and accessory products, reports a significant increase in interaction rates and conversion following its launch of a mobile-optimized Web site.

When the retailer realized its email marketing efforts were being accessed primarily via mobile devices, it reached out to mobile commerce Web solutions provider JustDomobi to create the mobile-optimized site. Since the site was being opened so frequently on mobile, the retailer built up its mobile presence to attract more online business.

“At LamaLoLi, as a leading international retailer of licensed children’s apparel, one of the most important issues is client retention,” said Yair Agami, CEO of LamaLoLi. “The leading channel for retention is email marketing, and a huge percent of the emails we send are opened with a mobile device.

“Therefore, to add mobile as a channel for our shoppers was a must,” he said. “We launched our mobile Web site in October 2013 and now have versions in English, French, Russian and German.

“From a shopping experience perspective, mobile is different from the Web. That’s why I wanted to work with a company that understands mobile from a behavioral perspective and was impressed with the JustDomobi team’s take on mobile.”

A growing industry
LamaLoLi’s mobile Web site is a success for its creator JustDomobi, which has just launched a custom mobile Web solution that allows shoppers to make a purchase in as little as 43 seconds.

The technology claims to enable mobile retailers the ability to achieve better results, such as 75 to 85 percent of conversion rates generated by the same company’s PC or Apple Web site. JustDomobi also aims to provide a more user-friendly experience, through a swiping functionality, which makes for easier shopping and improved mobile Web performance.

The LamaLoLi mobile Web solution generates 80 percent of the conversion rate of the retailer’s traditional Web site. In other words, if five out of 100 visitors to the desktop version of the Web site make a purchase, then four out of 100 mobile visitors will make a purchase.

According to JustDomobi’s research, mobile commerce sales lag behind the relative traffic coming from mobile devices because of the quality of mobile navigation and search and the buying process, which results in a mostly counter-intuitive experience filled with disappointed prospective customers and abandoned shopping carts.

When making a purchase, LamaLoLi shoppers are allowed to create an account quickly by looping in their Google+, Facebook, Yahoo, Paypal or Amazon account.

The retailer is also currently doing a mobile promotion, rewarding those who register their email with 20 percent off their first order.

“Today, one year after launching our mobile Web site, mobile is already generating over 20 percent of our B2C income, and that percentage is growing,” Mr. Agami said. “When comparing mobile with our traditional Web site, smartphone conversions are 51 percent of the Web and tablet is 78 percent of the Web.

“Mobile’s share of revenue is expected to increase over time,” he said.

Sounding promising
As the prevalence of mobile purchases and payments grow, retailers and brands are opting for modern solutions, such as NFC, to make the purchasing process of mobile shopping easier.

For example, in a bet that near-field communications mobile payments may still not be ready for prime time, Burger King has opted to power its application with PayPal’s cloud-based, PIN-driven solution.

In addition to paying via PayPal, users can also add a BK Crown Card digital gift card or activate a virtual card to pay from the app. In comparison, Burger King competitor McDonald’s recently ran up the flag for NFC payments by partnering with both Apple Pay and Softcard (see story).

Also, online and mobile reservation service OpenTable has recently announced the availability of mobile payments, currently accessible in the New York, San Francisco and Washington metropolitan areas.

Pay with OpenTable will allow guests to receive quick payment experiences, and will eliminate the need to carry extra credit cards or cash. Diners can simply add a credit card to the OpenTable iPhone application and pay the check with a few taps (see story).

Payments made on the mobile channel will continue to grow.

“Given the growth LamaLoLi is experiencing with our mobile Web site, it’s clear that mobile, smartphones and tablets, will ultimately become the dominant digital channel,” Mr. Agami said. “Advances like mobile payments, better integration with TV, print and other channels and a more personalized shopping experience via these always on, always present devices guarantee a very bright and lucrative future for those retailers that get mobile right.”

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York