• by Holly Pavlika , Columnist, May 2, 2016

The indispensable phones … what would moms do without them? LOL! Studies have shown moms would rather give up sex than give up their smartphones, illustrating how important these devices have become to them.

And as the family decision maker or influencer on purchase decisions, this indispensable tool is her key, whether she is in shopping mode or buy mode. I spoke with Peter Crosby, director of marketing communications, and Michelle Burtchell, VP of marketing, at Salsify, a provider of product content management software that conducted a study, “Cracking the Code: Product Content Drives Conversion.”

“There is a distinction between ‘shopping’ and ‘purchasing’ mode for mom. Shopping entails everything from browsing, reading reviews, and scouring product details to product comparisons,” said Crosby. “Purchasing is the actual buy stage. Remember, at this stage moms think ‘total price,’ which means not only the cost of the product, but shipping, warranties, or product enhancements like batteries — are they included or is that an extra fee?” 

The survey revealed:
• Moms are 30% more likely than everyone else to shop on their phones

• Moms are 43% more likely to click “buy” on their phone

• Millennial moms are 44% more likely to research a product based on social endorsements 

When in shopping mode, moms rank in order of importance:

1. detailed product descriptions
2. ratings and reviews: 5+ reviews 
3. minimum of 3 photos

But, when in purchasing mode, the rankings reverse order with price becoming most important. In theory, these may be two different phases for mom that occur at different times, so bookmarking features are important for brands to include.

Think mobile-first content.
“Give moms a rich experience on mobile so they get what they want first and don’t go elsewhere,” said Burtchell. The study revealed 47% of moms only have the tolerance to visit one to two sites before they decide to buy.
Some examples of “mobile first” thinking:

1. Moms will abandon if the site is difficult to navigate, they can’t read the information on their screen or it takes too long to find the product.
2. You need to start out with optimizing photos and video for mobile. Caption everything so your content works with the sound off.
3. Create “discoverable richness” starting with the navigation. Make sure it works if you only have one thumb. Moms often only have one hand available!

A new mom herself, Burtchell added, “Moms just don’t have time to shop around.”