The Importance of Making Sure your Ecommerce Site is Optimised for all Devices
More and more people are shopping via mobile devices. Here, we discuss the importance of ensuring your website is optimised for tablets and smartphones.
Christmas 2013 saw 21% of consumers doing their Christmas shopping online, with a further 40% admitting that they carried out more than half of their shopping online according to the Econsultancy Christmas 2013 Online Shopping Survey.
Smart personalisation tools are used on ecommerce sites to determine individual shopping preferences and generate almost accurate recommendations. Adding this personal touch to the consumers’ online shopping experience gives people the confidence in shopping online, but strangely, some businesses are still completely neglecting their mobile and tablet strategy.
Statistics, Statistics…
According to Statista, a massive 88% of the UK’s 16-24 year old are in possession of smartphone, followed by 84% of 25-34 year olds, 72% of 35-54 year olds and finally 25% of 55+ year olds. It is safe to say that smartphones are used by the majority of UK consumers. When it comes to shopping on mobile and handheld devices around Christmas time, 24% of people say that they tend to buy items from applications or websites (Ofcom April 2014). This statistic does not take into account the 45% of UK consumers who chose the click and collect option in Christmas 2013.
The number of people getting smartphones and tables is growing at an incredible rate, so these statistics are expected to increase significantly. With more and more people changing their shopping habits by migrating to using handheld devices, we can only assume that confidence in this technology is growing. The numbers speak for themselves, and the need to optimise websites for mobiles and tablets is essential for business owners in general and vital in the run-up to Christmas.
Are Businesses Listening?
According to Textlocal in June 2013, there were only 16% of businesses that admitted that they had no intention of using mobile as part of their marketing campaign. It seems that businesses across the land are taking note, and fully utilising this new mobile culture. If you are one of those 16% of businesses that are not taking advantage of the mobile market then you are seriously missing out on potential significant increase in traffic to your site, accompanied by a higher conversion rate (which is the ultimate goal).
It is no secret that handheld device use is on the rise – all you have to do is look around when you are next on any kind of public transport. If you want to get the most out of your ecommerce site, then it is important to ‘keep with the times’ and invest in making your site compatible on all devices.
Not too late for 2015
It might be a little late to get your business website optimised for mobiles and tablets in time for Christmas 2014, but planning a mobile strategy for 2015 will ensure you are ready for all of the online shopping peaks throughout the year. The benefits of investing in this kind website development for your business will soon become apparent once the next holiday comes around!
