In Recent stats from Affiliate Window’s M-commerce white paper, the average conversion rate for iPad in august was 3.82%, compared to 1.9% for desktop. These stats state that retailers will need to optimize their websites if they want to take full advantage of iPad shoppers.
This study was conducted using affiliate traffic so it is possible there may be some differences between that and ‘normal’ web traffic. However this data still shows the significance and growing importance of mobile and tablet e-commerce
When it comes to the average order values customers spend on each device, the iPad comes out on top with an AOV of £69.94 compared to £65 for non-mobile devices. Stats from eBay also support this trend with the company stating that tablet users spend 50% more than PC users.
The iPad isn’t just king when it comes to AOVs, it is also converting better than desktop and other mobile devices. In fact the average iPad conversion rate for august was 3.82% compared to only 1.9% for non-mobile devices.
It also emerged that for the first time this august the iPad accounted for more sales than any other device, subsequently knocking the iPhone of the top spot. This data really does show that more and more people are using tablets for web browsing and online shopping, so it is vital that companies online use this information and implement it into their businesses.
To discuss your website optimisation further contact Studio8Search on 01865 842525
“When we track our local search rankings, how much should we focus on search terms that include a local term (e.g. town name, post code) vs. generic keywords without the local term?” This is a very common question amongst local consumers.
In terms of optimising your local search, it is essential for you as a local business to include local terms search as address, county and telephone number in your site content. This is so that Google knows where you are located and which areas you serve.
Local Search
Research has been carried out to help us understand searcher behaviour and how local businesses can optimise local listings according to the results:
59% of local consumers use Google every month to locate a good local business.
71% of searchers value the information contained in local search results. Of these, 60% said that local listings with a photograph grab their attention more than standard listings.
54% of searchers use a local modifier in their search terms. Also, 21% of younger searchers don’t ever use a local modifier, while 63% of older searchers usually do.
60% of local searchers add a town name or city name to their search terms. 42% add a postcode. The majority of male searchers use postcodes while women favor town and city names.
13% of local searchers use street names.
38% of searchers expect Google to return local results based on their location.
Below are 5 tips for optimising your local listings based on the findings above.
Choosing an eye catching photograph to use as your main profile image will help appeal to the local searchers. Claiming and enhancing your Google Places profile and choosing your best photograph will help you do this.
If your target audience is a younger generation, focusing more on generic search terms and leaving the handling of localisation to Google will help attract the searchers that fall into that category. However, if your business is targeting older consumers, then by focusing on search terms that include local modifiers you will attract more searchers.
Although optimising for town and city names will attract more consumers than postcodes, the most effective search engine optimising campaigns will include all of them in order to deliver the maximum amount of traffic.
By emphasising the post code on your businesses website, you will be targeting a male audience, however if your target audience is more female based then you should make optimising for town and city names a priority.
Although you will not bring in large amounts of new customers by optimising for street names, it will make it easier for current customers to keep coming back. It is vital that your street address is not only on your Contact Us page but on all of your pages as text and not an image file.
To discuss your local search optimisation further contact Studio8Search on 01865 842525
23% of UK online consumers conducted some kind of mobile transaction last year, but unfortunately, 83% experienced a problem.
The findings come from a survey commissioned by Tealeaf, which suggests that retailers need to work harder to match customer expectations of mobile commerce.
Mobile commerce activities
63% have used their mobiles for shopping, 37% to conduct financial transactions, 34% for travel bookings, and 23% for insurance payments or purchases.
On average, mobile shoppers completed 4.4 transactions per month by mobile, with a more or less even split between app (43%) and mobile internet browser (41%).
Common problems encountered by mobile users
The most common issue was receiving error messages (34%), while 25% found apps or websites difficult to use, 25% had problems logging in, and 20% said their credit card wouldn’t go through.
How do customers react to difficulties with mobile transactions?
29% would abandon the mobile transaction and try later on a computer.
16% would become more likely to buy from a competitor.
17% would email or log a complaint with customer service.
13% would abandon the transaction at the app/site and try a competitor instead.
Negative mobile experiences also have the potential to detract from other channels as well. 66% of respondents said they would be less likely to buy online or instore from a company if their mobile site caused them problems.
What do retailers need to do?
The report suggests five steps for retailers to improve customer experience on mobile sites, which include making a commitment to improving usability, understanding how mobile fits in with a multichannel strategy, and linking the channels together so that mobile customers can get help from staff.
Within the mobile world we now live in, it has become even more important for businesses looking to attract local customers to turn their minds to ‘Local Search’. Have you noticed the Yellow Pages getting thinner recently – its all to do with the shift in the way in which people now discover local products and services.
“70% of households use the Internet to find local products and/or services”
Local Search is a combination of ways in which you can ensure your business is being found online through peoples desktops, laptops, smartphones, iPads and any other internet browsing devices.
Local Businesses in Oxford can now take advantage of our special Local Search Deals from Studio8. Local Search is an important tool for any business seeking customers in and around the city/town of their business and can be an extremely cost saving marketing method if implemented correctly – read more here:
“In the last few days we developed an algorithmic solution which detects the merchant from the Times article along with hundreds of other merchants that, in our opinion, provide an extremely poor user experience. The algorithm we incorporated into our search rankings represents an initial solution to this issue, and Google users are now getting a better experience as a result.”
The changes highlight the need to produce honest and relevant search results after an article inthe New York Times relating to a disturbing story.
“By treating your customers badly, one merchant told the paper, you can generate complaints and negative reviews that translate to more links to your site; which, in turn, make it more prominent in search engines. The main premise of the article was that being bad on the web can be good for business.”
Facebook have introduced more clever ways to connect on your mobile devices.
Facebook Deals
Find Deals on iPhone
Using Places on the iPhone already lets you share where you are and find nearby friends. Now with the iPhone 3.3 application, you can also find nearby deals from your favorite businesses–from restaurants down the block to major retailers. Deals are only available from Places in the U.S, for now, and will be expanding to more merchants over time.
In addition, Places has been updated to include a starred friends list, making it even faster and easier to tag friends with whom you frequently check-in–no more searching and scrolling.
Single Sign On
Now when you’re logged into Facebook, it’s easier for you to log in into other applications on your mobile phone with single sign on. Gone is that tedious annoyance of having to type in your username and password again on a tiny phone keyboard. Gone are those frustrating moments when you forget one of your many username and password variations and can’t access an application.
Here’s how single sign on works : Just log in to the Facebook application on your mobile phone once. From then on, you can log in to any other application on your phone that supports single sign on without typing a username or password again. This works on any Android phone or any iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch device that supports multitasking (most iOS4 devices).
The goal is to save you time so you can get to what you want to do.
Starting today, you can try this new experience yourself with any of these Android apps: Flixster, Groupon, Loopt, SCVNGR, Yelp and Zynga Poker. iPhone apps will soon be available with single sign on. Going forward, expect even more apps to launch with this functionality.
For so many people, their mobile phone is already the most social device in their lives. Single sign on and new updates for Android and iPhone will make the phone even more personal to you, so you can bring your friends with you wherever you may go.
Facebook Messages Update
Messages is built for communicating with your friends, so it made sense to organise primarily around people. All of your messages with someone will be together in one place, whether they are sent over chat, email or SMS. You can see everything you’ve discussed with each friend as a single conversation.
The Social Inbox
It seems wrong that an email message from your best friend gets sandwiched between a bill and a bank statement. It’s not that those other messages aren’t important, but one of them is more meaningful. With new Messages, your Inbox will only contain messages from your friends and their friends. All other messages will go into an Other folder where you can look at them separately.
If someone you know isn’t on Facebook, that person’s email will initially go into the Other folder. You can easily move that conversation into the Inbox, and all the future conversations with that friend will show up there.
Facebook will be launching Messages and email addresses gradually and making it available to everyone over the next few months. Once you receive an invitation, you’ll be able to get started and also invite your friends to join you.
Allow studio8search to help with your social media strategy to boost your brand awareness and increase users to your site call us on 0845 5191 880 or email info@studio8search.com
Mobile Internet Use is growing faster then ever. Users are now able to access information ‘on-the-go’ at good speeds across 3G networks and Wi-Fi hotspots. Look at your analytics and your will see the referring browsers now include mobile devices –
Mobile Phone Internet browsers commonly include IE, Safari and Chrome – This Analytics chart clearly shows Blackberry use too.
John Lewis’s has entered into mobile commerce, opting for a mobile website rather than a smartphone app.
John Lewis currently gets approx 100,000 visits every week from mobile users, and is hoping that a better user experience will convert more of these visitors into buyers.
Whilst you are able to create apps for Android, iPhone, Windows Smartphone Operating systems, perhaps a mobile version of your site could save you money and the need to update when operating systems update – Here’s a short Video adding weight to the need for a Mobile Website :
Talk to Studio 8 about your mobile website and how we an optimise your local, mobile and natural search. Call 01865 842525 or email info@studio8search.com.
United Nations statistics has suggested that one third of the world’s population will be online by the end of 2010.
Online users have doubled to two billion in the last five years according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
The data shows that connections in the developed world still outstrip those in the developing world.
Broadband use is obviously increasing as seen in these figures, however, it has been taken over by new mobile connections.
More than 90% of the world’s population now has access to a mobile network and it preidicts that there will be 5.3 billion mobile subscriptions by the end of 2010, of these 3.8 billion will be in the developing world.
A sure sign that the online marketplace is growing faster then ever, and the use of smartphones such as the iPhone, Android Phones and new Windows phones as well as tablet devices such as the iPad which browse the internet via mobile networks could become our main source of internet content sooner then we think.
