Ecommerce continues to evolve year upon year, with statistics showing customers shopping on more devices than ever. In 2016, mobile ecommerce has never been more important, and if you haven’t already upgraded your ecommerce store to a responsive web design, you could be missing out on sales.
After Black Friday statistics from this year show that mobile devices are taking over the PC the ecommerce, it’s time to take mobile ecommerce seriously.
If your online store doesn’t already offer a mobile-optimised shopping experience for your customers, you could be discouraging visitors from converting, and sending them directly to your competitors with mobile websites.
If you’re still debating the pros and cons of upgrading to a mobile ecommerce site, we’ve compiled some of the most compelling statistics that show mobile ecommerce is a force to be reckoned with.
Omnichannel shopping
Adobe’s data shows that a record $4.45 billion was to be spent online across Black Friday and Thanksgiving Day, which is a jump of 14% upon last year. Mobile devices drove 53% of shopping visits, which was 40% smartphones and 13% tablets, accounting for $585 million in sales just on Black Friday itself.
Aside from Black Friday, Ofcom has also shown that the most important device for internet access is made up by desktop or laptop at 17% and 29% (total 46%), whereas tablet and smartphone make up 30% and 20% (total 50%)
Mobile spending
Mobiles are no longer just for browsing and conducting research. Each year, more and more shoppers are comfortable with shopping on their smartphone and tablets. Due to increased functionalities, bigger screen sizes, and smartphone adoption rates, this is sure to continue to grow.
As for spending in the Europe, RetailMeNot has revealed the following statistics:
- A predicted 45 billion euros have been spent online via mobile devices in 2015
- 12% of all online purchases made through mobile devices in 2015
- Mobile spending increase of 63% in 2015 upon last year
As for improvement in the future, the Centre for Retail Research and VoucherCodes.co.uk found the following trends emerging:
- 66% of retailers believe they need investment in mobile to drive growth, with 88% believing it would lead to more in-store visits
- UK retail industry missing out on £6.6 billion a year by not investing in mobile
- 73% of shoppers predict they will spend more in ecommerce over the upcoming year
- 40% of consumers say that their online mobile experiences could be improved
IMRG and Capgemini had also revealed that mobile accounts for 40% of all online retail sales – with 1 in 4 mobile commerce sales taking place through a smartphone.
The future of mobile ecommerce
Looking ahead into the future of ecommerce itself, Barclays found that by 2024, consumer spending on mobiles will top £53 billion by 2024. They also predict that 42% of all retail sales will involve mobile devices in one way or another – so it’s important to provide a mobile user experience even if that is not where the conversion occurs.
As for the growing popularity of mobile payments such as Android and Apple Pay, eGifter have stated that 27% of consumers plan to use mobile payments within 6 months.
Online and offline merging
The potential for the use of mobile devices in our retail experiences is also huge. If your business offers ecommerce alongside more traditional shopping methods, then it’s worthwhile considering the following statistics from comScore:
- 43.3% of UK Smartphone users use their device in a retail store
- 23.3% use a mobile to find the store location
- 20.2% use a mobile to compare product prices
- 19.7% research product features on a mobile
Overall, when you consider the statistics from the past year and other predictions for mobile ecommerce in the future, it’s not difficult to see why it’s important to offer a mobile ecommerce experience as soon as possible.
If you’re exploring the idea of making your ecommerce store mobile-friendly, get in touch with the Xanthos team who will be happy to discuss your requirements, and help you grow your online business.
