Brief:

• Qubit, a provider of marketing personalization technology, introduced a mobile-oriented tool that lets smartphone users browse a personalized selection of products on a site. The AI-powered Qubit Aura layer sits on top of a mobile website and changes the products a user sees based on behavior, according to a statement made available to Mobile Marketer.

• Diane von Furstenberg, Wolf & Badger and ColourPop were among the 20 companies that started testing Qubit Aura in July. By tapping the Qubit Aura icon, mobile users see a layer over the existing mobile site with the ability to seamlessly switch between browsing and purchasing.

• Qubit Aura brings together a user's behavior with programmatic experiences such as social proof and product recommendations. Machine learning and event level data collection organize products so users can easily discover new products.

Insight:

Mobile marketers face a challenge in converting browsers into paying customers, especially compared with consumers who use desktop computers to make purchases. Conversion rates on desktop are more than double that of mobile, 3.35% on desktop vs. 1.61% on mobile, according to Qubit’s analysis of 35 fashion and cosmetics brands since 2017.

Some retailers have looked at integrating visual search as a way to drive mobile conversions. By leveraging AI to make it easy for mobile users to discover new products and make a purchase, Qubit hopes to address the challenge for e-commerce retailers hoping to convert new customers. Early testers are optimistic about the potential, with Wolf & Badger, which has over 30,000 products on its site, reporting it is seeing conversion rate uplifts of 3.6% on mobile after implementing Qubit Aura. 

Diane von Furstenberg — which reports that while 50% of traffic comes from mobile, revenue from mobile lags behind — is leveraging Qubit Aura to tap into product discovery happening on social media. 

"The challenge for ecommerce brands is to bridge the discovery that happens on Instagram, and similar tools, and make this discovery phase become native and within our walls," said Felipe Araujo, head of e-commerce at Diane von Furstenberg, in the press release. "Qubit Aura provides a seamless transition between discovery and shopping on mobile web, and we're delighted to see positive uplifts already."

Most customers use search or a hamburger navigation button to discover a brand’s product catalog, adding to the difficulty of increasing the conversion rates and revenue per user in mobile. Meanwhile social networks like Facebook’s Instagram and Pinterest are extending their influence in helping people to discover new products and services. This influence is leading social platforms to pursue ecommerce strategies, Qubit said.