Mobile Shopping Becomes A Larger Piece Of The Pie

In case retailers and merchants need more evidence about the power of mobile, Demandware, the eCommerce software company acquired by Salesforce earlier this month, has found that 45.1 percent of web shopping traffic happened on a smartphone in the first quarter of 2016. What’s more, Demandware is projecting that percentage will increase to 60 percent by the end of 2017.

“The impact of mobile on shopping, in particular, has been dramatic. In just the last three years, visits to retailers’ sites from phones have nearly quadrupled and now account for 45 percent of all traffic,” the company said in a blog post. “Mobile phones have long since passed their tap screen counterpart, the tablet, in share of traffic and orders and are poised to overtake computers in share of orders. Shoppers have voted with their thumbs, and there is no debating that phones are now the go-to device for visiting retail sites. Increasingly, mobile users are choosing to buy on mobile.”

The increasing popularity of smartphones is good news for retailers because it provides them with a new opportunity to connect with existing customers and reach new ones. But it also comes at a time when there are big roadblocks for retailers to ensure their customers are getting the best experiences out of their mobile shopping. That’s particularly important because this generation of shoppers has a short attention span. If they can’t check out on their mobile phone, they will move on to the next merchant.

Some of the challenges facing retailers when it comes to mobile include long checkout times and cumbersome payment processes that prevent customers from completing an online order. Demandware noted that mobile checkout completion is 11 percent lower than all other devices combined. The company said, if retailers can do it right, there is a big piece of the eCommerce pie waiting for them. “The message for brands is clear: Don’t sleep on mobile. While phrases like ‘mobile-first’ have become almost cliche, the reality is that mobile-first is already here, and we’re on the fast track to mobile-only.”