Adobe Systems talks up importance of mobile channel

Survey says 80 per cent of companies are giving precedence to mobile websites

Consumers are now using the mobile web more than ever before

Four out of five companies are looking to develop, or have already set up, a mobile website, according to a survey conducted by Adobe Systems, which adds clout to the mobile channel as an important medium to drive traffic and support multi-channel commerce.

Adobe’s first annual Mobile Commerce Survey details strategies that businesses can use to harness the emerging mobile channel over the coming year, based on feedback from more than 400 companies around the world, 20 per cent of which operate in the retail sector.

Respondents indicated an overwhelming preference for developing websites as their predominant mobile commerce presence; more than 80 per cent plan or have already deployed a mobile website compared with other types of mobile properties, including downloadable applications. Only eight per cent of respondents cited a downloadable application-only mobile commerce strategy.

Three quarters of respondents named promotions as the core of their mobile strategy, with commerce, product information and branding cited as other main areas of focus.

“Multi-channel shoppers tend to purchase more; therefore, companies must effectively engage customers by delivering consistent, rich experiences across all channels – including mobile – to maintain and fuel current double-digit e-commerce industry growth rates,” said Sheila Dahlgren, senior director of product marketing at Adobe.

Mobile user experience findings from the survey point to full-screen image zoom and videos as the most important way to browse or display products on mobile devices. More than 55 per cent of respondents cited full-screen image zoom and videos as indispensable viewing features for driving conversion

The survey also suggests that while only one in five respondents currently use rich visual merchandising features for mobile commerce, 80 per cent are looking to offer richer mobile experiences over the next 12 months.