Mobile Proves “X Factor” For Google In Omnichannel Battle

Released on December 23, a new report from comScore sought to assess the top 50 desktop websites for the month of November, finding that Yahoo and its affiliated websites had the most unique visitors during the study period.

Rounding out the top five websites were Google, Microsoft, Facebook and AOL, all of which had more than 115,000 unique visitors at their web properties, according to comScore. Amazon notably finished sixth in the ranking, while eBay placed outside the top 10.

However, comScore doesn’t just calculate the top desktop performers by visitor metrics. The research company offers a separate Media Metrix that ranks multi-platform sellers, as well as a Media Metrix that scores properties based on their mobile performance alone.

As a result, this full range of reports provides an in-depth view of how major eCommerce providers, payments players and web properties are performing in each category, and how their rankings in these respective channels is impacting their overall influence on the web.

To reveal new insights into the impact that multi-channel selling is having on major online properties and their ranking, we break down comScore’s recent Media Metrixes in this PYMNTS.com Data Point.

Google Edges Out Yahoo With Mobile Boost

This November, Yahoo took the crown in comScore’s Media Metrix, logging 194,631 unique visitors, coming in roughly 2,000 unique visitors ahead of second-place finisher Google. However, a closer look at comScore’s recent Media Metrixes shows that Yahoo may be the true second-place property.

Google was found to be the top smartphone property this October, reaching 88 percent of all smartphone users. By comparison, Yahoo finished third with a reach of just 77.9 percent. In part because of its leading edge with mobile and desktop users, Google finished first in comScore’s beta test of its new Multi-Platform Media Metrix, garnering a total digital population of 214,806 unique visitors compared to Yahoo’s 189,272.

Mobile Can Be Difference-Maker, But Platform Still In Infancy

The findings are also noteworthy due to the fact that they contrast so strongly with another recent list – Internet Retailer’s recently released Hot 100 E-Retailers of 2013.

The corresponding report illustrates just how big the gap between eCommerce and mCommerce is currently: None of comScore’s top 50 retailers were named among Internet Retailer’s 10 websites “leading the mobile charge,” which included big names with a strong presence in both channels like Groupon, JackThreads and One Kings Lane.

Groupon Leads Notable Mobile Absences

A further analysis of the recent reports reveals that Groupon, while thought to be the strongest, most innovative company on the mobile platform by Internet Retailer, hasn’t seen the same success as established Internet giants from the pivot. ComScore’s data shows Groupon failed to chart among the top 30 multi-platform properties or the top 15 smartphone properties.

Groupon notably switched its strategy this past October away from relying on emails to mobile push notifications. As a result, 50 percent of Groupon consumers now purchase via mobile and these customers were found to spend 50 percent more than desktop consumers.

The results have been enough for many investors to once again back the one-time struggling company, as many believe mobile commerce, while increasing in importance, has yet to reach its full potential.

For more on Groupon and how its redesigning its platform for mobile success, read our full analysis of the company’s recent mobile redesign here.