Top 100 brands are missing out on mobile
Mobile is at the forefront again this week as the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) releases research showing that only 40 per cent of the top 100 brands, such as Tesco, B&Q and Boots, have mobile-optimised websites.
This is an increase from figures released in Google’s ‘think mobile’ research from 2011 which revealed that 79 per cent of its largest advertisers do not have mobile-optimised web sites.
The IAB research used data from GSMA Mobile Media Metrics (MMM), a partnership between comScore, the GSMA and the UK mobile operators and Google’s GetMoMeter tool to manually check the top 100 UK advertiser websites across a range of sectors.
The study shows that the advertisers with a mobile-optimised website enjoyed increased engagement with consumers. Among the advertisers that had a mobile-specific site, average dwell time was 5 minutes, 2 minutes longer than the average for advertisers without a mobile web presence. Also, consumers who visit an advertiser site that is mobile-optimised look at on average 19 pages per person, 33 per cent more than if the site was not optimised.
The effect it can have on business was also shown by the IAB last year in its John Lewis mobile campaign research. It showed that 30 per cent of respondents said they would not bother purchasing an item, or would buy it from a different website, if their first choice of retailer did not work on a mobile.
Mobile-optimised sites are vital for brands. Smartphone usage and ownership is rising and many people are continuing to use mobile for research, to receive offers and make purchases. More top brands should realise this potential and make their sites mobile friendly.
