Finding Mobile-Driven Success in the Home and Building Supply Industry

In the lumber and home and building supply industry, no one sits at a desk from 9-5. They are on the move: checking their email, communicating with colleagues, and running their business all from their mobile devices. Having access to your business at arm’s length has never been more critical. This is just one of the reasons why your smartphone is actually your digital assistant and perhaps your most important employee. Smartphones and tablets have become indispensable to communication, sales, and relationship-building across all industries.

Despite most of us being able to admit the importance that mobile ecommerce has on growth, some businesses have been slower to embrace this type of shopping experience. Why? Many retailers don’t know how to ask for help. Furthermore, they don’t know how to find the right software solutions that can help them boost customer satisfaction and revenue.

Mobile ecommerce has fundamentally changed how we interact with the world around us and what we’re willing to tolerate as digital sellers and consumers.

The Rise of Mobile

Mobile ecommerce is becoming consumers’ preferred shopping method. In 2021, mobile ecommerce sales hit $359.32 billion and were expected to reach $728.28 billion by 2025, accounting for 44.2% of retail ecommerce sales. More importantly, by 2024, an estimated 292 million Americans will have a mobile device, with 187.5 million using those devices for ecommerce. This level of importance points to an equal level of emphasis on doing online research before committing to a purchase.

Since the pandemic, the home and building supply industries have experienced labor, supply chain, and inflation uncertainty. Today, mobile-minded, service-centric retailers appear to be the best equipped for survival. This is because they’ve prioritized automating processes, streamlining operations, and have embraced mobile solutions. Are you one of the forward-thinking businesses utilizing software solutions for your home and building supply businesses? If not, it’s not too late.

However, it shouldn’t end with mobile ecommerce. Companies having access to mobile technology solutions to run day-to-day operations is becoming more vital, points out John Maiuri, president of the LBM division of ECI Software Solutions. "Technology solutions that offer cloud-based mobile applications give trades access to important facets of the business through a variety of internet-accessible devices. Common uses of mobile applications include checking inventory and pulling business data. Businesses that are innovative in the way they automate processes, streamline operations, and embrace mobile solutions will not only survive but thrive through economic changes."

24/7 Hand-Held Access

Understanding what’s most important to customers in their mobile experiences is critical to delivering the experiences customers want and expect. Nearly 1/3 of all Americans admit they can’t live without mobile phones. You’re more likely to know where your mobile phone is than your car keys. It’s become the preferred method for personal browsing and is becoming expected in the business world.

Let’s be honest, we are all addicted to our phones, both on and off the clock. Need proof?

• The average person taps their mobile phone once every 10 minutes (averaging three hours and 15 minutes of use) every day.
• 1 in 5 people would rather go without shoes for a week than take a break from their phone.
• People report withdrawal symptoms—including increased blood pressure and heart rate—when separated from their mobile phones.

According to the Google/Greenberg Strategy, U.S., Google Connected Consume, 54% of consumers expect brands to tailor mobile information based on their previous online behavior. But only 4% of companies have implemented the range of features necessary to do so. That’s a huge gap.

Customers want to shop for materials when it’s convenient for them, and retailers need to respond to that need, or else they run the risk of not staying competitive with the big box stores. The survey also found that 63% of smartphone users are more likely to purchase from companies whose mobile sites or apps offer recommendations on products they may be interested in.

“Across every industry, customers are increasingly expecting a seamless online experience that can be accessed 24/7, no matter their location or time zone. Lumber and Building Material dealers need to embrace technology solutions that provide ecommerce offerings so they can stay competitive and not miss out on building new customer relationships,” says Maiuri. Bringing your retail store online and then in the palm of your customers’ hands not only makes it easier for them to purchase from you but easier for your team to conduct business from anywhere.

Our mobile-driven behaviors have fundamentally shifted in recent years, and businesses like yours must be prepared to meet customers and the industry where they are. As more people make the transition from face-to-face handshakes to mobile-based agreements, your digital presence must match this evolution, or your customers will find it elsewhere.