M-commerce Uptake Slow Among UK's Smaller Retailers

Monday, July 9, 2012 - 11:15 by Simon Crisp

A study has found that, while there is plenty of enthusiasm for the idea of setting up an m-commerce presence among the vast majority of the UK's smaller retailers, the actual implementation of this type of service is still a relative rarity.

Onepoll surveyed a number of small and medium sized companies about their thoughts on offering safe shopping online through a mobile platform, with 89 per cent stating that they would be very interested in setting up such an offering to lure in more customers.

However, just 24 per cent of those questioned on behalf of MoPowered said that they had actually implemented their plan and created a website or application that is optimised for use on a mobile platform.

A number of obstacles were cited as preventing smaller retailers from adopting m-commerce wholeheartedly, including the cost of creating mobile specific outlets and anxiety surrounding the security of such services.

Survey spokesperson Dominic Keen said that there was enthusiasm among the less mainstream retailers in the UK for m-commerce, with statistics from Google showing that 15 per cent of web-based browsing traffic is generated by smartphone users.

He added that safe shopping online should be possible through m-commerce outlets in much the same way as it is via full desktop sites, with security concerns largely unfounded.

The importance of optimising a website so that it is easily accessible and usable from a smartphone device with a touchscreen interface is heavily emphasised by experts in this field.

Customers expect to be able to visit a site and navigate menus with ease so that purchases do not become a chore to make. This growing expectation will continue to shape the market, helping retailers that do adapt to grow while those that hold back are hampered.