With smartphone and tablet use growing globally, merchants are planning to refine their mobile presence in 2014 to stay competitive. The drive to be visible and engage consumers across devices is a core component of multichannel store operations. As part of an effort to improve the customer experience, retailers are prioritizing mobile for the coming year.

According to the 2014 Shop.org/Forrester Research Inc. State of Retailing Online survey, more than half of retailers intend to improve their mobile presence, focusing on responsive design, mobile site optimization and tablet redesign. In 2013, smartphone revenue grew 113 percent and tablet revenue grew 86 percent from the previous year, the survey found. This was driven both by the increasing prevalence of mobile device ownership – especially among wealthier demographics – as well as the greater availability of mobile apps and coupons, Business Insider noted. 

Forty-six percent of retailers plan to redesign their websites, according to the survey, and site experience is instrumental to customer conversion. Mobile improvements are part of a general trend toward increasing personalization and convenience for shoppers. These strategies are made possible by advances in retail customer intelligence, which merchants can incorporate into designs for their mobile websites and apps. 

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Wednesday, February 5th, 2014 at 5:39 am .