M-Commerce Suffers From Payments Optimization

Recent research by WorldPay has revealed that payment page optimization and screen size are deterring customers from purchasing goods from their mobile devices. The research conducted at the 2012 Internet Retailing Conference in London, found that retail experts believe mobile devices play a role in the shopping experience but consumers are put off from purchasing goods and services on their mobile devices. Over half of those polled believe that screen size is still an issue but 34% think that lack of payment page optimisation discourages consumers from spending money on their devices.

Philip McGriskin, chief product officer, WorldPay comments: “Perhaps the most dramatic change aligned to recent mobile successes is that consumers are able to browse using their personal technology any time they want – on the commute home, at the pub, and even while visiting a shop itself. Yet, whilst consumers are using their devices to browse they are not spending as much as they could. Merchants need to understand if their target customers would purchase if the experience met their requirements and, if so, implement an optimised mobile payment page. Consumers have high expectations of the purchasing experience on a mobile and it needs to replicate what they have come to expect on a website. If merchants can understand and respond to their customers’ demands, they will reap the rewards as the mCommerce appetite does exist.”

These findings support recent research conducted by WorldPay for the Global Online Shopper report, which found that almost half of online shoppers in the UK own a smartphone (48%) and 13% own a tablet. Our research found that in the UK a quarter of respondents’ disposable income is spent online and promisingly, 29% of UK consumers said they’ll use their smartphone or tablet to buy online in the next year, meaning the opportunity is enormous. The report also found that of those who purchase goods on their mobile devices, 25% prefer a mobile optimised website, compared to 19% who prefer to shop via bespoke apps.

We previously discussed the necessity of mobile optimization for British retailers and the lack of major brands taking on the trend. With such high smartphone penetration rates in Europe, retailers could really be missing out on millions of potential customers.