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Lack of m-commerce optimisation leaves UK retailers in deep water

Tuesday, March 19, 2013 - 09:20 by Graham Miller

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Only half of the 100 largest retailers in the UK have chosen to create a mobile optimised website, so that consumers can use their smartphones to carry out safe shopping online.

This is according to American app developer ,Skava, which found that British retailers are lagging well behind those in the US, where 100 per cent of the major outlets have adapted to the m-commerce revolution.

Last year m-commerce sales accounted for just one per cent of the total e-commerce spend in Europe, but this is predicted to rise to 6.8 per cent by 2017, which means retailers need to act quickly if they are to avoid disappointing consumers with unacceptable smartphone shopping experiences.

If a retailer does not create a version of its website which is easy to view and interact with from a touchscreen device, it will be unable to convert as many casual visitors to paying customers as it might if it took the optimised route.

Skava spokesperson, Arish Ali, said that retailers based in the UK and Europe were less willing to adapt to the changing marketplace than those in the US, which meant that even amongst the biggest companies, there was a lack of m-commerce support at the moment.

Of course, the UK has one of the most developed markets for safe shopping online in the world and British consumers are particularly savvy about the various digital platforms which they can use to buy products and services at the moment.

There are already plenty of different reputable retailers who have entered the mobile space with optimised websites and dedicated apps, but with 50 per cent of the top 100 firms still yet to make the leap, hopefully, the swelling enthusiasm for all things m-commerce will push them in the right direction.