Now that smartphones are ubiquitous, it’s no longer outlandish for consumers to browse, research and/or buy on their Android, iPhone or tablet devices. The researching process is particularly important for larger, more expensive purchases, such as wedding gowns. To better reach modern, more tech-savvy consumers,David’s Bridal has rolled out a mobile optimized site, developed in partnership with Usablenet. 

The David’s Bridal mobile site was released in Q4 2011 to provide prospective customers with a user experience that is rich and engaging. According to Keely Conley, Director of e-Commerce for David’s Bridal, the primary goal of the new storefront was to allow shoppers to interact with the brand and purchase bridal gowns anytime and anywhere.

“Mobile is key to the future of David’s Bridal’s multichannel experience,” Conley told Retail TouchPoints. “David’s Bridal has a consumer base that is highly engaged and active by nature of the wedding planning event. As a brand, being present across a broad range of consumer touch points is critical to strengthening our relationships with customers.”

Through the mobile optimized site, brides-to-be have the ability to search nearby stores. The site also allows consumers to browse the retailer’s entire inventory and make purchases whenever and wherever they desire. With login functionality, shoppers can manage their accounts, view items in their baskets, and save products into their “favorites” list, leading to a brand experience that is more comprehensive and streamlined, explained Nick Taylor, CEO of Usablenet. 

“The on-the-go shopper is growing into a significant percentage of David's Bridal's customer base as smartphone use continues to skyrocket and more consumers turn to their devices to research and purchase products,” Taylor said. “With the launch of its mobile optimized site, David's Bridal demonstrates its commitment to its customers by ensuring the best shopping experience, regardless of the type of device being used.” 

During the development process, David’s Bridal and Usablenet did a thorough analysis of the retailer’s target consumer base, and mapped out a strategy to include all vital features of the e-Commerce site, such as in-depth item images. The new mobile optimized site leverages the latest HTML5 technology, allowing the retailer to provide customers with high-resolution photographs of inventory as well as zoom capabilities, Taylor noted. 

The marketing and development teams at David’s Bridal are continuing to develop its mobile presence and overall multichannel strategy, based on insight from Usablenet and ROI results, Conley added.  

“Our roadmap was developed by considering the overall consumer experience, corporate priorities and best practice guidance from Usablenet,” Conley said. “The mobile strategy was planned around the most popular features on our web site. Mobile is a phased effort for David’s Bridal and we will continue to evolve the roadmap based on learnings and usage from our latest efforts.”