Computer electronics retailer Dell Inc. has been an m-commerce leader for years, optimizing sites and crafting apps for smartphone and tablet shoppers and incorporating text messaging into its marketing arsenal. Its mobile commerce chief, Brandon McGee, works to stay a step ahead of avid mobile users. McGee, director, global mobile, will deliver the keynote address for the mobile commerce workshop at 8:30 a.m. on June 7 at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition 2013. The address is entitled “Dell: How the Mobile Leader Keeps its Edge.”
Dell showed during the 2012 holidays how it keeps that edge by creating special HTML5-based tablet-optimized catalogs and smartphone mobile commerce sites for Black Friday and Cyber Monday (the day after Thanksgiving and the first Monday after the holiday, respectively). The digital catalogs, including a Gift Guide issue, resided on Dell.com and used the HTML5 programming language so that any consumer, regardless of the mobile browser he was using, could view them. Taking advantage of mobile touchscreens, consumers could tap an item in the digital catalog to learn more about it via a pop-up box. A tap on the Customize or Buy buttons in that box linked a consumer to the product detail page for the item on the e-commerce site, where the consumer could then make a purchase.
Dell also redesigned its main mobile commerce site last year. The site offers a new layout, updated HTML5 navigation with shopping assistance to help consumers pick the right computer system, Dell’s full product image gallery, social sharing, mobile live chat and a product comparison tool. Dell.com’s new mobile home page features a larger masthead and easy-to-navigate tiles for all product families, as well as one for shopping assistance. The latter is a tool that allows customers to filter product specifications, such as memory options or type of processor, to generate a list of laptop or desktop machines fitting their criteria.
McGee says in his IRCE mobile commerce workshop keynote address he will provide a comprehensive view of Dell’s past, present and future in m-commerce. “I will review the performance of solutions that are currently in the market, and will outline the benefits and challenges of potential solutions such as HTML5 responsive design,” McGee says. “The presentation will cover mobile applications, mobile browser solutions, text messages and mobile marketing best practices. Attendees will understand the importance of the omnichannel experience and the criticality of measurement, reporting and becoming a mobile evangelist within the organization.”
Internet Retailer editors invited McGee to speak because as director of Dell’s global mobile team, he has responsibility for developing and implementing a comprehensive mobile strategy for a Fortune 50 company with annual revenues exceeding $16 billion. Prior to joining Dell in 2010, McGee was vice president of mobile banking at Huntington Bank.