Why mobile matters for online shoppers

There are currently an estimated 1.91 billion smartphone users worldwide, and 82 percent of them use their mobile devices to shop. As consumers are five times more likely to abandon shopping if the site isn’t optimized this means embracing mobile is crucial for businesses.

Online shopping portal DirectBuy has produced an infographic looking at how the world is moving towards a mobile shopping environment.

Interesting findings are that for younger users in particular the smartphone may be their main point of internet access. Shoppers already use their smartphone to compare in-store pricing, and the mobile device is becoming the consumer’s go-to tool for all shopping needs, 81 percent of people research online before buying locally and mobiles have a higher conversion rate (78 percent) than desktops and tablets.

As numbers increase the mobile experience becomes crucial. It’s estimated that by 2020 user experience will surpass pricing and product as the main differentiator between brands. If marketers aren’t optimizing their websites, they’re leaving a rapidly growing demographic without access to products.

You can see more detail in the full infographic below.

Image Credit: 3Dmask / Shutterstock