Desktop, laptop account for outsized share of conversions
UK internet users have not been slow to adopt mobile devices for shopping (i.e., researching and browsing products) on the internet, but they still prefer to turn to a PC when it’s time to buy, research shows.
The preference for purchasing via PC is outsized compared with the tendency of UK users to click on mobile ads. More than 11% of all paid search clicks in the UK in the first quarter of 2012 came from mobile devices (not including tablets), according to research from digital marketing software firm Kenshoo and publishing and events company Figaro Digital. Another 5.8% of paid search clicks came from tablets. Computers accounted for the lion’s share, at 82.8%.
In spite of those clicks, however, many UK internet users are probably not converting on their mobile and portable devices. More than nine in 10 said they preferred to buy via PC, compared to 3% who would rather to do so on a smartphone and 2% on a tablet.
Many mobile purchases are made on the go, making consumer preference a malleable concept at best—if you prefer a PC, but you’re not at home and you must make a purchase now, what else can you do? But mobile marketers should be aware that paid search clicks may translate into conversions at a lower rate than they do on the desktop web, where consumers are still more comfortable buying.
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Check out today’s other articles, “Which Are the Riskiest Social Media Sites for Brands?” and “Luxury Marketers Catch Up on Digital Channels.”