Only 20% of corporate marketers have a mobile-optimised site

Marketers are struggling to meet the mobile demands of consumers, and as a result, the progression of m-commerce in the UK has slowed.

A survey carried out by EpiServer, the digital communications company, polled 1,000 consumers and 200 marketing executives to ascertain attitudes in this area.

The survey uncovered that 57% of consumers have a smartphone. Of this 73% had browsed the web on their handset and 67% had used an app.

The study found that a further 33% had purchased from a site via their mobile and 26% had used an app for this purpose, highlighting this growing trend and outlining the importance of uptake among marketers.

Only 20% of corporate marketers taking the study recorded having a mobile-optimised website, and a slim 18% admitted to having an app in place. However 76% claim to have a mobile strategy in the pipeline and 26% aim to launch a mobile site in the next 12 months.

If marketers want to succeed in m-commerce then they must recognise the importance of the user experience.  The study saw a staggering 49% of consumer respondents finding their mobile-web experiences cumbersome and slow, with 35% expressing difficulties in logging in.

Nearly a fifth experienced problems when trying to access the web via their handset and a worryingly high 15% abandoned their purchase because the site was too hard to navigate.

Simplicity and ease of use came top as the defining factor on whether or not a mobile-optimised website or app will succeed. Marketers failure in delivering these have been refined to lack of requisite technology and a shortage of staff resources.