eBags, a travel gear e-tailer and expert reports that year over year sales via mobile grew 70% for both Q4 and full year 2016 while mobile traffic grew 67% for Q4 and 53% for the year. eBags aligned a number of initiatives around a Mobile First company strategy which drove the positive results.
“We’re elated to report these numbers and salute the hard work of our entire staff to ensure customers consistently experienced delight on the mobile channel,” says eBags’ CEO, Mike Edwards. “Checkout friction is a significant obstacle in mobile commerce and we executed a number of initiatives to address this, we’re happy to say, with great success.”
eBags adopted many of Facebook’s best practices for the mobile feed – including designing video for sound, optimizing the vertical format, and even tapping into Facebook Live. In addition, the company:
- Reduced mobile checkout pages from 7 to 1
- Added mobile wallets (Apple Pay, ChasePay, MasterPass, Amex)
- Increased mobile site load speed (a major hurdle for mobile conversion)
- Incorporated adaptive design for site optimization
- Fine-tuned emails to be easier for mobile users
In addition, the new eBags mobile app gives travelers access to unique tools to improve the journey and keep them connected. The eBags Connected Luggage Tag is one innovation in the app that helps users keep their personal information safe and reunite with lost bags. The Connected Tags are available in a variety of styles and can be attached to any type of luggage or bag.
Mike Frazzini, CTO of eBags comments, “eBags’ commitment to offering a comprehensive mobile solution for customers has been a key differentiator for us in the market today. We took into account the specific needs and desires of our customer base, which included a fast experience, a variety of payment options, and a seamless path to purchase from any device.” He adds, “Plus, we know that bounce rates jump and conversion falls off sharply for every additional second a site takes to load. So mobile site speed is critical to a great customer experience. We have worked closely with companies like Yottaa and Google to assess and optimize our mobile performance. In fact, a recent Google assessment verified that the eBags mobile experience is best in class.”