Why optimising your website for mobile should be your top priority: here are the stats you can’t afford to ignore.

Boom Time!

Current world internet users

2.5 billion

Predicted users by 2015

3.7 billion

Global e-shoppers

1 billion in 2013

e-Spend 2013

$1 trillion

Predicted e-Spend by 2018

£2 trillion

[SOURCE: IMRG - ‘How Can Retailers Succeed in the Digital Decade?’]

58% of people in the UK own a smartphone

40% of smartphone users shop online

50% research potential purchases online

[SOURCE: eDigital Research 2013, Ofcom]

56% of tablet owners shop online

66% research potential product purchases online

[SOURCE: eDigital Research 2013]

Tablets were the most popular Christmas gift in 2012

And 71% of tablet owners purchased their Christmas gifts using their tablet device.

[Source: State of Digital]

According to comScore, almost one third of all UK page views come from a mobile or tablet device...

Visits via mobile devices accounted for 23.1% of all UK e-retail visits in 2012.

[SOURCE: eDigital Research 2013 – ‘Effectively measuring the true reach of your online channels in an increasingly multichannel world’]

John Lewis has seen a 70% increase year on year in mobile visitors to its website

[Source: EssentialRetail]

And the number of smartphone shoppers who make purchases on a weekly basis has almost doubled since 2012.

[Source: eDigital Research]

One third of every transaction on eBay involves a mobile and the company is predicting £13bn worth of sales will be made on mobiles by the end of 2013...

The Problem?

Your m-commerce channel needs to display properly on an ever diverse range of devices: from laptops and smartphones to tablets; all with varying screen sizes, browsers and user interfaces.

In an ideal world, this should be achieved with apps specifically tailored for the mobile device plus responsive websites that automatically adapt the site layout according to the

device on which they are being viewed.

• 22% of the top 50 online retailers do not even have a mobile-optimised website or app available for smartphone users.
  

• Only one in ten UK retailers has a tablet-optimised site, despite the fact that one tablet generates as many website visits as four smartphones.
  

• Google research suggests 40% of users have turned to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile experience.

[SOURCE: Mastek survey, PingMobile, Econsultancy, Marketing Magazine]

Takeaways

• Consumers in the UK are using mobile technology more and more to shop online

• But many e-tailers are falling short when it comes to embracing m-commerce

• Forward-thinking e-commerce businesses are integrating mobile apps and responsive websites into their multi-channel strategy

  
  

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