The importance of mobile optimization can’t be overstated enough. As smartphone use grows globally smartphone shopping follows. This is a major reason why we decided that each of the designs on eSpire eCommerce would be mobile responsive.
Linda Bustos from Get Elastic created the below infographic originally so props to her for putting this together. I think it’s fantastic to show numbers but also wanted to explain the significance after the fold. Look for our comments after the infographic.
Mobile Optimization Explained
The numbers that are most important to focus on here are the following: the number of smartphone users who have made at least one purchase online in the last six months (49%), the percentage of sales lost because of a lack of mobile optimized site (97%), the speed of the decision from initial search to purchase (55% under 1 hour), and also the number of people who say they prefer to shop on their tablet over their PC (52%).
These numbers are significant for a few reasons. First off smartphones are growing exponentially in popularity. As companies increasingly adopt mobile optimization that number will increase.
97% of sales are lost on mobile devices because of distraction during the mobile shopping experience. If you’re not optimizing for mobile you’re losing out on potentially a lot of sales. As I stated our eCommerce solution utilizes mobile responsive design for this very reason.
The time to purchase is short. 55% of shoppers who search on mobile for products buy (through their mobile) within an hour of that search. That’s a staggeringly quick and perhaps even impulsive shopping behavior. You’ll want to capitalize on this trend.
52% of tablet owners prefer to shop on their tablet over their PC. This is important because you need to have a solution that not only adapts for smartphones but also the increasing segment of shoppers shopping in what Steve Jobs coined the “post-PC world.”