Mobile Still Tops Retailers’ Priority Lists, According to Shop.org/Forrester State of Retailing Online Report
Despite Conservative Investments, Retailers Reaping the Benefits of Mobile Shopping - Report Finds Mobile as a Percentage of Online Sales Increased 50% in 2014
The survey found smartphone sales as a percentage of online sales grew from 8 percent in 2013 to 12 percent in 2014, an increase of 50 percent; tablets’ share of the pie also grew from 13 percent of online sales in 2013 to 16 percent in 2014.
Additionally, many of those who list mobile as the top priority have
stated their digital marketing budgets remain modest, knowing consumers
are coming to their mobile sites whether they are ready for them or not.
Of those retailers surveyed, 32 percent report spending less than
“Consumers are flocking to retailers’ mobile sites at a faster pace and
with more interaction than ever before, so naturally they expect
retailers to offer fast, well-designed mobile services that meet their
needs,” said NRF Senior Vice President and Shop.org Executive Director
Omnichannel, marketing strategies round out top 3 priorities for online retailers
Looking to tie together store and digital touch points for a truly seamless customer experience, retailers surveyed cite omnichannel efforts as their second priority behind mobile. The survey found 45 percent of those surveyed hope to improve or invest in programs like buy online-pick up in store, ship-from-store and inventory visibility, up significantly from 26 percent who listed omnichannel efforts as a priority last year. Additionally, nearly four in 10 (38%) surveyed say marketing optimization was their third priority for 2015, which includes initiatives around customer retention and acquisition.
Apps lose ground to mobile optimized websites
High costs to develop and manage company-specific apps – compared to optimizing mobile websites – have changed how some companies are prioritizing their mobile marketing budgets. More than half (56%) of retailers surveyed say that apps are not a key component of their mobile marketing strategy, and an even greater percentage agree apps are not critical to their employee strategy either.
“Apps are simply too expensive to build and maintain for most retailers,
begging the question – what’s after apps?” says
About the State of Retailing Online
The State Of Retailing Online research series, which provides eBusiness
& Channel Strategy Professionals with annual industry benchmarks of
marketing and business investment and activities, surveyed 71 companies
in November and
About
About Shop.org
Shop.org, a division of the
Source: Shop.org and
NRF:
Kathy Grannis, (855) NRF-PRESS
press@nrf.com
or
Forrester
Research:
Simone Levien, (212) 857-0754
press@forrester.com