Mobile Sites Attract More Shoppers Than Buyers

More consumers use mobile to research purchases than make purchases, according to the latest Forrester Research.  Only 13% of U.S. adults with a mobile phone report using it to purchase a product, although the purchase rate jumps to 30% for tablet users. As a result, the conversion rate on the average mobile site is only 1% compared with 2% to 3% for computer access. Marketers should still hone their mobile pitches, however, since 37% of U.S. online adult tablet owners and 14% of online adult mobile phone owners are using their devices to research products and prepare to make a purchase. U.S. online consumers are also using their devices to read customer product reviews (tablet 28%, mobile phone 10%), locate a store and check store hours (tablet 17%, mobile phone 16%), and check product availability online (tablet 16%, mobile phone 7%). If you want to get that mobile conversion rate up, make sure you aren't creating barriers to purchase. Forrester found the main stumbling blocks to more mobile purchasing were web sites not optimized for mobile, concerns over the security of mobile payments, and patchy wireless connections. For a more detailed portrait of mobile consumers, see the internetretailer.com story at http://www.internetretailer.com/2013/05/15/forrester-research-paints-vivid-picture-typical-mobile