Capturing Latin America’s Mobile E-Commerce Buyers: Insider Tips

Submitted bySkypostal onMon, 09/23/2019 - 00:00
Latin America's Mobile E-Commerce Buyers

Latin America’s mobile e-commerce buyers' market is growing rapidly. The region is ripe with potential, in terms of both market penetration and the sheer volume of emerging mobile e-commerce buyers. In 2017, 67% of Latin Americans (436 million people) subscribed to mobile services, and that number is likely to rise to 74% (517 million people) by 2025.

If you’re an e-retailer thinking about selling and shipping internationally, read on for the latest consumer trends. Our tips will help you effectively capture a share of Latin America’s mobile e-commerce customer base.

LatAm Mobile E-Commerce Is Expanding Rapidly

Though cross-border e-commerce is typically conducted on desktops and laptops, many purchases are being made on mobile devices in regions such as Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. In fact, more Latin Americans are making purchases via mobile devices than ever before, accounting for 27.5% of 2018 retail e-commerce sales in Latin America ($14.62 billion). In Brazil, one-third of online transactions in 2017 were made via mobile device.

Internet access is improving, data plans are becoming less expensive, and smartphone use is rapidly expanding throughout the region. As these trends continue, the mobile e-commerce customer base in Latin America is poised to grow. The number of Latin Americans buying items online is expected to increase to 155.5 million in 2019—a jump of 22.6% from 2016 (126.8 million people).

 

Mobile e-commerce purchases in Latin America are on the rise.
Mobile e-commerce purchases in Latin America are on the rise. - image source

 

E-commerce revenues in Latin America are on track to rise to $94 billion by 2022. For e-retailers looking to sell and ship internationally, the time to capture Latin America’s mobile e-commerce buyers is now.

3 Tips to Attract Latin America’s Mobile E-Commerce Buyers

Whether you’re just breaking into the LatAm market or looking to expand, focusing on mobile is key. Latin American customers are eager for cross-border products, and they’re increasingly making those purchases on mobile devices. Here are three insider tips for maximizing your market reach.

1. Create tailored mobile experiences.

In many parts of Latin America, mobile phones provide consumers their most consistent access to the internet. This offers e-retailers an excellent opportunity to design the e-commerce experience around mobile devices. When building your mobile-responsive website, keep key demographics in mind. The average LatAm consumer is young (30 years old, compared with 37.9 years in the U.S.) and urban (80% live in towns or cities).

Investing in an easy-to-use mobile retail website is a smart move no matter where your customers are, but this is especially true for Latin America. Mobile device use by nature encourages spontaneous purchases. The more streamlined and accessible your mobile e-commerce website is, the easier it will be for customers to follow their whims and press that purchase button.

2. Support common mobile payment processing methods.

To reel in Latin American consumers, ensure your e-commerce site can handle customers’ preferred mobile payment processing methods. For example, growing numbers of Latin Americans are using mobile wallets—in fact, two out of three consumers said they are planning to use mobile wallets as a payment method.

It’s also important to make sure that customers have a secure payment method. In a survey, 46% of LatAm online shoppers indicated that a secure way to pay would make them more likely to make a purchase from a website based in another country.

3. Find a strong logistics partner to ship mobile purchases.

Of course, taking care of your mobile device customers doesn’t end with the e-commerce sale—you have to ship your products to them. The delivery and shipment infrastructure in Latin America still has room for improvement in many areas. That’s why it’s crucial to work with a shipping partner that can get your products swiftly and safely into your customers’ hands.

 

Working with a logistics partner with regional specialization in Latin America is key.
Working with a logistics partner with regional specialization in Latin America is key. - image by Elevate

 

Things to look for in an international parcel delivery service include regional specialization, online package tracking, and localization capabilities. When you have the right partner, you can foster an invaluable sense of trust (and repeat business!) with your Latin American mobile e-commerce buyers.

Secure, Cost-Effective Shipping to Latin America with SkyPostal

Now that you have some insight on Latin America’s mobile e-commerce opportunities, contact us to find out how we can take care of your e-commerce logistics needs. SkyPostal has been pioneering parcel and mail delivery in Latin America since 1972, and we have the largest private delivery network in the region.

From web services integration to parcel tracking, personalized customer service, and more,  SkyPostal makes it easy to fulfill e-commerce orders throughout Latin America. We take the guesswork out of international shipping.