Today, nearly 40% of U.S. subscribers regularly browse the web on their mobile phones. By 2013, Google predicts mobile web traffic will surpass PC web traffic. In other words, your mobile website will attract more daily visitors and generate more sales than your desktop site.
Some mobile sites will get there even sooner. ESPN reports they are already seeing more mobile traffic than PC traffic on some weekends. Recognizing this clear trend towards mobile, top brands and retailers are racing to develop new strategies for mobile and dedicating increased resources to the mobile web.
Exciting new devices with modern mobile browsers are driving innovation in the mobile web space. Consumers with modern devices now expect brands to have mobile-friendly websites and reward retailers that embrace mobile. Retailers report higher conversion rates and order sizes which are 30%-40% larger with a mobile-friendly website.
For mobile retailers, getting consumers to the products they want to see quickly is paramount. Furthermore, getting consumers through the shopping cart faster has a direct impact on sales. A speedy, more efficient experience translates into more conversions and less abandoned shopping carts.
First generation mobile sites require a new page to load with every touch – and it can be a painfully slow experience. Each time a mobile user waits for a page to load, you stand a chance of losing them. Next-gen mobile sites deploy sliding menus, quick sort functionality, and product list views that change without reloading the page. Menus and product views change instantly
Geo-location is the first ‘killer app’ for mobile. New mobile sites leverage the geo-location API to not only detect your current location, but utilize that data point to present content with super-context. For example, Pier 1 imports provides a real-time view of stores near you where the product you’re looking for is currently ‘In Stock’. Travelocity provides a local view of their vast content (deals, available reservations, gas stations, etc.) based on your current location. Geo-fencing applications, which trigger events if you enter a virtual perimeter, are also starting to gain traction on the mobile web.
