Last Updated on Jul 2, 2013 by Numinix Developer
It’s that time again—time to prepare for the holiday shopping season.
Too soon? Not at all.
The most successful Ecommerce holiday campaigns start in the middle of the summer. If you want to be competitive this year, start thinking about how you can get your website in “tip top” shape before the November rush begins.
The Mobile Explosion
We talk about mobile traffic a lot on this blog, mainly because it is widely ignored, yet one of the most important components to a successful holiday campaign.
Did you know that 64% of smartphone owners now use their mobile devices to shop online? (Source: eDigitalResearch and Portaltech Reply, 2012)
This stat is staggering and it doesn’t even refer to the holiday shopping crowd, a time when online shopping explodes in growth.
Here are some more interesting stats (courtesy of Digby):
- Within five years, half of today’s smartphone users will be using mobile wallets as their preferred payments method. (Source: Carlisle & Gallagher Consulting Group, 2012)
- 4 out of 5 consumers use smartphones to shop. (Source: comScore, 2012)
- 55% of mobile owners access mobile web (Source: Pew Research Center, 2012)
Holiday shoppers, more than any other time of the year, do not want to leave their homes to face the crazy crowds. And much of the time, they want to shop from the comfort of their own couches, on their smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices.
Sadly, many Ecommerce stores do not optimize their websites for their mobile audience. Some feel it is not necessary, while others think the cost is too high. What they don’t realize is that every day they neglect the mobile customer, they are missing out on sale after sale after sale. And responsive design is one of the most affordable mobile design options.
Read more about how responsive design helps grow companies’ revenue.
Mobile shopping has expanded faster than most analysts could predict.
According to a 2010 report by Brand Anywhere and Luth Research, consumers are 51% more likely to shop at retailers that have websites designed for mobile users.
Fast forward three years later, and many more Ecommerce stores are jumping on the mobile bandwagon. If you don’t “keep up with the joneses,” there is a good chance your store will not get much “love” from your mobile shoppers this holiday season.
Mobile-Optimized Ecommerce
If you start now, there is still time to optimize your website for mobile and increase your sales this season. There are a few ways you can accomplish this depending on your mobile needs. At Numinix, we find that responsive design is the most cost-effective option, and for the majority of Ecommerce stores, it makes the most sense.
Un-optimized mobile websites are cluttered, bulky, slow-loading, and hard to navigate. Users do not want to pinch, scroll and enlarge their screens to find the item they want. Gift givers are serious shoppers. They want the very best for their loved ones so their experience on your website should be rewarding enough for them to click the “Buy” button.
A Responsive site is NOT simply a smaller version of the same site; it is a smartly categorized, highly optimized environment where the most essential information is instantly visible to mobile users!
Responsive websites are built to automatically adjust to any screen size. With a responsive website, you will never have to worry about creating new mobile sites when new screen sizes enter the industry or cater to the varying types of smartphones your customers use. A responsive design will adjust itself to your customer’s screen size offering them a pleasurable experience, one that facilitates more enjoyment and more sales as a result.
And you can’t beat the cost savings—instead of paying for, maintaining and running multiple newly-designed mobile websites for each device, one affordable responsive design is all you need!
Numinix will know exactly how to optimize your website for your mobile audience. Don’t miss out on any more conversions! Take charge now and take advantage of the millions of people ready to “shop till they drop” this holiday season.