Peak week 2017 is going to show B2C retailers just how vital mobile is, with some 60-plus per cent of retail related searches in November and December coming from mobile.
The findings, published in a report by Marler Haley on Monday 20 November suggest that UK mobile search trends for consumer related searches ‘sale’ and ‘Black Friday’ will surpass 60% by the end of the year.
With a growth in mobile searches for consumer websites, these findings build on the theory of a mobile-first approach to web design.
With news that Google is talking about a mobile first index, this puts added pressure on websites to make sure that they are delivering the best mobile experience possible to consumers.
Mobile second for B2B retailers
The study identified that although mobile-first is a reality for B2C, it’s not a trend that is shared by B2B. By compiling search trends for major B2C and B2B retailers, Marler Haley identified that there is less than half mobile search traffic for B2Bs in comparison with B2Cs.
With B2B mobile traffic varying between 10-30%, these findings suggest that mobile isn’t having the same level of growth as B2C.
Importance of these findings for retailers
Gemma Russo, Head of eCommerce at Marler Haley explains: “With the growth of mobile for consumer related search terms, marketing managers are feeling increasingly pressured to make sure that they have a mobile first strategy when it comes to web-design and conversion optimisation.”
She continues: “The rise in mobile has largely been documented in B2Cs, with B2B eCommerce websites being seemingly forgotten when intuitively, you’d expect to see a much lower level of growth in mobile. Our study suggests that there really is a much lower level of growth for B2B mobile.
“As such, it’s often seen as a much lower priority as it’s likely to have a lesser impact for B2Bs than B2Cs. Although it’s sensible for new websites to be built with a mobile-first approach as a matter of course, it’s more likely to be added as future proofing rather than an immediate need based on user experience.
“Our findings highlight the importance of understanding your own users for the growth in mobile, to understand your competitors’ adoption of mobile-first and knowing whether that’s normal for your industry.”
