Global smartphone ownership is expected to reach 80 per cent by 2020, and with mobile fast becoming the preferred platform for shopping, it is important for retailers to get their product information right.
Not-for-profit organisation, GS1, Mobile Ready Hero Images Guideline addresses the challenges of providing the information consumers need when making purchase decisions while shopping from their mobile phone.
“The GS1 Mobile Ready Hero Images Guideline standardises the combination of product images and information viewed on mobile devices,” explains head of customer relations and standards office, Sue Schmid.
“It helps brand owners clearly communicate product information to enhance the consumer shopping experience including the brand, the product offering, the variety of the product and the size.”
Research shows that visual consistency is key and retailers need something that works across all categories and could be easily included into online commerce channels designed for smart phones.
The guideline highlights the importance of the 4Ws―Who is the brand, What is it, Which variety is it and hoW much of it is there. Brands and retailers need to work together so shoppers can find the product they want more easily and therefore increase sales.
By adopting the guideline, brand owners and retailers will be able to minimise internal investments, while achieving greater consistency across their websites, says Robert Beideman, senior vice president solutions & innovation at GS1.
“More and more consumers use their phones to discover and buy products, and industry came together to improve this shopping experience,” he says.
“The guideline promises to increase the speed and accuracy of online shopping by making product images consistent between brands and retailers, thereby minimising the number of orders placed in error and lessening the number of returns.”
