Among the array of choices available, e-wallets like PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller have emerged as genuine game-changers, offering a string of advantages for consumers and merchants alike. It’s almost a decade since PayPal was integrated as a credible mobile payment method, compatible across all major operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows and BlackBerry.

The entertainment and retail industries appear to have embraced e-wallets most enthusiastically to date. Entertainment subsectors like the online poker industry readily accepts e-wallets for deposits and withdrawals when playing poker for real money, streamlining transactions and acting as a secure barrier between players’ traditional bank accounts. These e-wallets also tend to offer much quicker payment clearance times from online poker accounts than traditional wire transfers. E-wallets have also expedited simple transactions in the travel industry, facilitating seamless ticket purchases and in-app transactions.

If you’re yet to adopt e-wallets as a credible payment method for your online store, here’s five compelling reasons why accepting payments via sites like PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller can significantly boost your bottom line.

Streamlined Checkout Experiences

E-commerce is all about convenience, and nothing streamlines the checkout process better than e-wallets. Traditional payment methods often require users to fill in extensive forms, input credit card details, and go through multiple verification steps. This cumbersome process can be a significant deterrent, leading to cart abandonment.

With e-wallets like PayPal and Skrill, users enjoy a simplified checkout experience. By securely storing their payment details within the digital wallet, customers can complete transactions with just a few clicks. This seamless process reduces friction during the purchase journey, increasing the likelihood of completed sales and fostering a positive user experience.

Enhanced Security Measures

Security concerns are paramount in the online realm, and e-wallets address these worries with advanced security features. PayPal and Skrill, for instance, utilize robust encryption technologies to safeguard users’ financial information. By acting as an intermediary between the customer and the merchant, e-wallets add an extra layer of security, reducing the risk of sensitive data exposure.

Moreover, these digital wallets often provide features like two-factor authentication and real-time transaction monitoring, further fortifying the safety of online payments. By offering customers a secure and trustworthy payment option, e-commerce businesses can instil confidence and build lasting relationships with their customers.

Global Reach and Currency Flexibility

E-wallets transcend geographical boundaries, enabling e-commerce businesses to tap into a global customer base. PayPal and Skrill, in particular, support multiple currencies, allowing merchants to cater to an international audience without the complications of currency conversion.

This global reach is especially beneficial for businesses looking to expand their operations beyond domestic borders. By accepting payments in various currencies, e-commerce platforms can attract customers from diverse regions, fostering growth and diversification.

Mobile-Friendly Solutions

The rise of mobile commerce has reshaped the way consumers shop online. E-wallets align seamlessly with this trend, offering mobile-friendly solutions that cater to the preferences of modern shoppers. With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets for online transactions, it’s essential for e-commerce businesses to provide payment methods that align with mobile usage patterns.

PayPal and Skrill offer dedicated mobile apps, ensuring a smooth and intuitive payment experience on handheld devices. The latter’s 1-Tap functionality couldn’t be any quicker, allowing customers to pay for goods or services using a single tap or click. The convenience of completing transactions on the go enhances customer satisfaction and contributes to higher conversion rates, particularly in the ever-expanding mobile e-commerce landscape.

Loyalty Programs and Buyer Incentives

E-wallet providers often entice users with loyalty programs and buyer incentives, creating a win-win situation for both merchants and customers. For instance, PayPal’s Cashback Mastercard offers cashback rewards for eligible purchases, while Skrill frequently collaborates with merchants to provide exclusive discounts and promotions for users of its digital wallet.

By aligning with these programs, e-commerce businesses can leverage the appeal of such incentives to attract and retain customers. The prospect of earning rewards or accessing special deals can serve as a powerful motivator for users to choose e-wallets as their preferred payment method.

In the fast-paced world of e-commerce, staying ahead of the curve requires adaptability and a keen understanding of consumer preferences. Embracing e-wallets like PayPal and Skrill is more than just a modern convenience; it’s a strategic move that can propel your sales to new heights.

The post 5 Reasons to Embrace E-Wallets to Unlock E-Commerce Success appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

This partnership provides Emarsys B2C Marketing Cloud e-commerce customers loyalty programs based on rewarding behaviors and engagement — another powerful step in customer retention and increasing customer lifetime value.

As most loyalty programs are transactional, using a spend-a-dollar, earn-a-point approach, Emarsys chose Antavo because the company instead rewards behaviors and engagements.  With e-commerce customers, this includes purchases, friend referrals, social sharing, content consumption, and contest entries, among other behaviors and engagements.

With this partnership, MMW is told, Emarsys clients in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Ireland can now take advantage of Antavo’s loyalty programs within their online stores, to increase repeat purchases and customer lifetime value.

“We are excited to welcome Antavo as our first customer loyalty partner. This is indicative of the commitment we have to customer retention,” said Adi Topaz, Business Unit Manager for Emarsys. “Antavo’s unique approach to customer loyalty has proven success, and we feel that they will make a significant difference to our e-commerce clients.”

The post Antavo, Emarsys Partner to Provide New E-commerce Loyalty Programs appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

“Severe inefficiencies in how some of the top e-retailers’ sites load on a mobile device add more than 8 seconds to the page load process,” according to new data analysis from Yottaa.

The Boston-based mobile and web optimization company tells us in a new report that mobile redirects run rampant among the top 500 e-retailers.

39 percent of the top retailers’ mobile sites redirect users two or more times before beginning to load, and one out of every 10 of the top Internet retail sites redirects users three or more times.

 

“Mobile sites with four redirects make users wait more than 16 seconds until a site renders – that’s 8 seconds longer compared to sites with no mobile redirects,” the study summary reads.

Research cited reveals that even just a one-second delay in site response time can reduce conversions by 7 percent.

“Based on the data, it’s apparent that the configuration of the commerce web is trailing significantly behind the significance of the channel,” said Ari Weil, vice president of products at Yottaa. “E-commerce businesses need to closely analyze how they can make up lost ground as seconds tick away during long page load times.”

The post E-Retailers Plagued by Mobile Site Redirects appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

On Thursday, Visa informed the Wall Street Journal that it’s poised to raise the curtain on its global mobile e-commerce strategy in a matter of weeks, if not sooner.

Chief Executive Joseph Saunders first hinted at the looming announcement during an investors call with analysts after Visa reported its fiscal second-quarter results.

The news comes just days after Visa announced an investment of an undisclosed amount into mobile payments provider Square.

The Wall Street Journal similarly reported earlier this week US wireless carriers, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile USA “are scaling back a joint venture for mobile payments that they originally hoped would compete with Visa and MasterCard Inc.”

Now, the group has adopted the less ambitious goal of setting up a “mobile wallet” that can store and exchange the account information on a users’ existing Visa, MasterCard or other card, people familiar with the matter said. The carriers are scrambling to find other ways to make money from the transactions. To get as many users as possible, the carriers are now in talks with Visa and MasterCard to have them participate in the system they will embed in phones.

Saunders, however, confirmed during the earnings call that Visa is “working with different types of entities” but won’t partner with them “at the expense of our primary customers, the financial institutions.”

To read the full report from the WSJ, click here.

The post Visa Says Major Global Mobile E-Commerce Strategy to be Announced This Month appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

“We reached an agreement today to acquire a company that delivers both talent and technology. Where, based in Boston, MA is a leading location media company and local discovery mobile application,” eBay said on its PayPal blog.

By giving people hyper-local, relevant retailer information and deals on their mobile phones, we see a huge opportunity for local merchants to reach more buyers, and for consumers to get more choice and value when they shop.

The acquisition represents another bold move on the part of eBay to better capitalize on available resources in mobile and local, two admittedly “key areas for us,” eBay says.

As noted by The Wall Street Journal, the deal is part of the company’s “broader acquisition strategy.”

Earlier this year, eBay said it was actively seeking deals that meld online and in-store commerce, expand its global footprint and build upon PayPal’s digital-wallet strategy.

Last month, eBay announced its purchase of e-commerce company GSI Commerce Inc. for $2.4 billion.

“Local commerce companies like Where are blurring the lines between in-store and online shopping,” eBay says. “By giving people hyper-local, relevant retailer information and deals on their mobile phones, we see a huge opportunity for local merchants to reach more buyers, and for consumers to get more choice and value when they shop.”

To read the complete announcement on the Official PayPal Blog, click here.

The post eBay Announces Acquisition Plans for Hyper-Local Mobile Ad Network appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

And this one is perfectly legal.

Walgreens is stepping up to acquire online pharmacy retailer Drugstore.com for $409 million.

For Walgreens, the acquisition was particularly attractive, given that the purchase provides substantial new customer access for Walgreens e-commerce business.

Drugstore.com presently boasts more than 3 million customers, all of whom collectively represent the prospect of big business to Walgreens.

With more than $456 million in sales in 2010, drugstore.com is ranked as the eighth-largest e-tailer in the US according to Internet Retailer magazine.

“Our acquisition of drugstore.com today significantly accelerates our online strategy to leverage the best community store network in America by becoming the most convenient choice for health and daily living needs whether customers shop online or in our stores,” said Walgreens President and CEO Greg Wasson.

Drugstore.com will maintain separate branding of its websites after the transaction closes. Over the long term, Walgreens intends to enhance its multi-channel product assortment and the overall customer experience by leveraging drugstore.com’s websites.

The acquisition, which Walgreens said likely won’t result in any job losses, is expected to close within 90 days.

Walgreens is the nation’s largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2010 sales of $67 billion.

The post Walgreens To Acquire Drugstore.com For $409 Million appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

What they’re noticing is that unlike traditional e-commerce, mobile coupons and/or text ordering and marketing doesn’t necessarily have to rely on a mobile website or even mobile internet access to operate since text messages flow through wireless voice connections.

Retailers are quickly figuring out that SMS-based services are some of the easiest mobile marketing tactics to use these days.  Some retailers, such as Moosejaw Mountaineering, were sending marketing text messages as far back as 2004.  Most retailers using texts today, though, do so to market products or offer promotions, as well as establish perhaps the closest connection possible with customers, since most consumers are almost never without their mobile phones these days.

The biggest advancement, and what I think will be the future, is the fact that you can now buy things with your mobile device with no Internet access what-so-ever.  Amazon’s TextBuyIt proved it could be successful, now other retailers need to jump on the bandwagon.

Of course, you need a traditional e-commerce account, like Amazon, that holds your billing and shipping preferences, but then it’s only a matter of inputting the UPC or barcode number of the item you wish to purchase, your email and your zip code into a text message and that’s it.

To me, this only represents the beginning of what’s to come in terms of services available via text-message communication.  For those with limited mobile internet-access, the possibilities are endless.

The post Beyond E-Commerce, M-Commerce Gaining Real Traction appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.