As we know mobile shopping has taken off in the last year and it is now estimated that 32% of UK consumers now make purchases on a smartphone, and this is increasing all the time.
It is easy to see why when improved user experiences are making the process simpler. Mobile responsive website design which allows the user to view a website without having to pinch to zoom and scroll across has accounted for much of the growth in online purchasing. This together with the ability to optimise for mobile advertising on platforms like Google AdWords has been key.
Many users are also using mobile devices to research larger purchases and then going onto make the purchase in-store at a later date. The smartphone is ultimately within arms reach all the time and so the temptation to browse on it rather than switching on the laptop or desktop or actually visiting the store is all too apparent.
So what with 4G?
More than two thirds (68%) of 4G users feel that faster access to the internet encourages them to make more purchases from their smartphone. Similarly more than half of 4G users surveyed have shopped online from their mobile compared to just under a third of non-4G smartphone owners. And 70% of 4G users have browsed retail websites from their mobile, compared to under half of non-4G users.
What can we learn from this?
As 4G rolls out and people upgrade their smartphones we can expect to see mobile shopping increase even more. Businesses should therefore be exploiting this opportunity and ensuring that budget is set aside to create a positive mobile experience – especially ecommerce stores.
Other interesting Mobile Stats:
- 46% of UK consumers now use mobile devices as their primary tool for purchase decision.
- 60% of those surveyed reported being at home the last time they accessed their smartphones, despite having a computer nearby.
- Satisfaction with the information available on smartphones has increased 18% since 2013.
- Mobile devices are frequently being used to search for store locations and business contact info. 37% made purchases offline after researching on mobile.
*Statistics were sourced from a survey carried out by eDigitalResearch and IMRG.