Desktop vs Smartphones - Web-Feet Blog

Desktop Vs Smartphones, let the battle begin…

Desktop shopping still dominates most of the online shopping world but you cannot ignore the rising star that is Smartphones. Using mobile devices to buy online are increasing in popularity each year thanks to the surge of mobile advertising, be that app based or that everyone is buying a smartphone and shopping online without even having to visit the store anymore.

Thanks to data from Bizrate Insights, part of Connexity, a polling company that serves us endless data (we won’t complain).

Below you can see that in 2013 to late 2014 mobile dominated the online orders and that especially it was by a tablet device. By the first quarter of this year, that number had dropped to 36%, the same percentage as iPhones.

Android smartphones were seen to account for 28%, this is likely change over time as consumers explore other opportunities as the android catches up on the iPhone in popularity.

Ignoring the fact that a vast majority of online purchases still happen via desktop and only a quarter of shoppers don’t use a mobile device at all, mobiles are changing the way we act in-store let alone the way we shop online.

According to Bizrate Insights, 21% of consumers are actively using their mobiles in-store, and two-thirds of consumers use those devices to comparison shop and locate coupons. Smart right?

63% of all consumers say they check stock using a mobile device before they visit a store, or believe doing so is a good idea.

The Desktop vs Smartphones challenge.

While most retailers are no doubt aware that more and more of their traffic is coming from mobile devices, and that mobile is affecting how consumers shop offline, the data provided back the obvious, you cannot ignore mobile.

Building effective mobile shopping platforms can be tough, and annoyingly tablet and smartphone users have very high standards if you want them to continue using your site. The problem is that tablets and mobiles are two very different screens, very different software and sometimes very different users. So you have a challenge of keep everyone happy.

Furthermore, tablets are generally used in home environments with WiFi unlike smartphone users may be on mobile networks that don’t offer the best connectivity resulting in bad load times.

Smartphone users are way more likely to be using theirs in store so you best make sure you have your offers and incentives up to date and tech savvy to keep them happy.

That’s all folks, it’s a tough challenge to decide who will dominate in the long run as desktops become more simplified and mobile, but again you cannot ignore the hasty rise of smartphones and their use out on the high street or inciting toilet-break must haves.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, who do you think will dominate, Desktop or Smartphone?

Images and stats thanks to Econsultancy – https://goo.gl/hYlIiX