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Speed, convenience are tops for retail consumers reveals new research

Retail consumers aren't very patient with slow loading online stores and are using their smartphones more than tablets this year when it comes to online shopping.

December 17, 2015

Shoppers want easy online retail navigation, fast site response and a convenient experience, reveals a new study from digital marketing and commerce player Episerver.

"Retailers must take a mobile-first approach to commerce, with consumers increasingly shunning their laptops and home computers to shop on smartphones and tablets instead, and as more than 50 percent of U.S. online adults access interactive content on their phones at least daily," stated Bob Egner, VP of product marketing for Episerver, in an announcement regarding the study. "Our research underscores that to deliver on a seamless, integrated omnichannel approach, marketers must align user experience with device capabilities. They should look to create unified experiences across all platforms, but must play to the specific strengths of each device or platform."

This recent Black Friday event marked the first time smartphones generated more sales than tablets, according to the report, which evaluated mobile commerce strengths of the top 20 retailers targeting U.S. shoppers. The Mobile Commerce Report 2015 benchmarked retailers' overall mobile commerce proficiencies, examining respective mobile websites, tablet applications, iPhone and Android apps, and compared current functionality against consumer expectations. Mobile sites were ranked on proficiency in the content and commerce competencies respective to: mobile strategy, mobile site navigation, mobile iPad app, mobile iPhone app, Android phone, and Android tablet.

Speed and convenience were cited by 46 percent of those polled as the top reasons for using mobile devices and in-store shopping visits. The study reports 63 percent of consumers will click off a mobile site if access isn’t easy or quick, and 22 percent said they’ll click over to a competitor's site if a retailer's site proves too frustrating.

The survey also notes that 39 percent listed physical stores as one of their top-three locations to browse a mobile device.  

According to the research, U.S. consumers are most likely to access mobile websites from their home, with 68 percent of American respondents ranking this location as the place they most commonly browse their smartphone. This figure was even higher for U.S. tablet owners, with only 17 percent of respondents stating they most use a tablet outside of the home.

"Creating exceptional omnichannel experiences is as much about leveraging the right technologies as it is about taking the right approach," noted Egner. "The key to success is tight integration between mobile, point-of-sale, customer data, content management and ecommerce platforms to support a consistent brand experience."

Egner added that the survey reflects that retailers need to do more than just connect multiple platforms.

"It’s about building a fully integrated marketing ecosystem that supports consumers in their journey across channels. Think long and hard about the strategy you are looking to implement, and then select the platforms that make it easy to support these omnichannel journeys."