Fifty per cent of purchases worldwide now involve multiple devices throughout the consumer buying journey – with the UK only just behind the global average at 49%, reveals new research.
Criteo’s Q3 2015 State of Mobile Commerce Report, an analysis of 1.4 billion online transactions, also revealed that early investment in apps is also generating significant payback for ecommerce companies that prioritised this platform. In the worldwide retail category, brands that make their app experience a priority generate nearly 60% of mobile revenue from the app, up from 50% in Q2 and heavily outperforming desktops. For travel brands that make their apps a priority, about 50% of mobile revenue comes from the app.
“We continue to see the rise of mobile commerce in a cross-device world. Advertising strategies now need to include mobile at the centre if companies want to engage today’s savvy consumer. Marketers need to pay close attention to the consumer’s purchasing journey if they want to attract buyers and maximise sales,” said Jonathan Wolf, Chief Product Officer, Criteo.
Cross-device is the norm
Consumers are browsing and buying on all devices—laptops, tablets and smartphones. For brands to succeed, they need to invest in mobile and allocate digital spend strategically:
- For purchases completed on laptops and desktops, 50% of buyers use at least one additional device during the shopping process
- On mobile, 47% of smartphone buyers and 50% of tablet buyers use an additional device
Apps are the next frontier
Brands that prioritise apps as a key revenue driver see profits surge. Ensuring that the app experience is seamless, intuitive and engaging is central to boosting engagement and conversions:
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- Globally, for retailers who have prioritised their app experience, 58% of all mobile revenue is generated through the app; travel is at 49%
- Apps convert at a rate 3.7 times higher than mobile browsers and two times more than desktop in terms of adding to basket and buying
Tablets are favoured
Consumers are more frequently choosing tablets as the preferred mobile shopping device. While all devices and channels should be optimised, tablets and smartphones are key vehicles for brands:
- Tablets lead with 57% of mobile transactions
- Mobile conversion rate is 23% higher for top quartile retailers than average retailers
Global m-commerce is up
Mobile commerce activity is growing worldwide with Japan, the UK and South Korea seeing the most retail ecommerce transactions. Global brands need to be tuned into how different consumer segments behave in order to deliver the best cross-device and mobile experiences: