Report: More eCommerce Site Visits Coming from Mobile and Tablet Devices

The growing use of mobile and tablet devices is changing the way consumers access ecommerce sites, comprising 38 percent of all site traffic during the first half of 2014, according to a recent report.

However, in spite of the jump in the number of people accessing ecommerce sites via these devices, conversion rates still remain low for visitors using mobile phones and tablets. Such findings indicate web developers need to focus efforts on an omnichannel user experience, according to the report’s sponsor ShopVisible (News - Alert).

“Our Influence & Impact report provides timely insights into shoppers’ online buying behaviors and areas of opportunity for growth,” said Sean Cook, CEO of ShopVisible. “As mobile commerce continues to grow at such a rapid rate, online retailers are realizing the need for an optimized user experience on all devices.”

Overall, mobile site traffic has increased by 8 percent since 2013. However, with transactions from those visits growing only slightly, the report indicates consumers are using mobile devices and tablets to browse more, but not necessarily to buy. Also average order values are much lower from mobile devices than those from a laptop or desktop computer.

Interestingly, ShopVisible found ecommerce sites saw an 18 percent overall increase in online revenue during the first half of the year, with a 42 percent increase in the month of June. Two factors that likely contributed to this growth are data-driven merchandising and site optimization techniques implemented by ecommerce sites.

Overall, ecommerce sites are doing well, experiencing a 20 percent increase in total items sold as well as an 11 percent increase in number of items per transaction. Total website traffic from all sources increased by nine percent, with 67 percent of site visits coming from new visitors, according to the report.

ShopVisible’s Influence & Impact report can be downloaded at the company’s website.