Perhaps no rivalry makes quite so many headlines as that between mega-retailers Target and Wal-Mart. And now, a recent report from mobile-engagement firm Mobiquity clearly shows that when it comes to mobile browsing, Target has overtaken its old nemesis.
According to the report, 45 percent of consumers browsed Target’s app or mobile site on their tablets in the second half of 2013, and 39 percent did so on their smartphones, edging former website-shopping leader Wal-Mart into second place.
More interesting revelations came from Mobiquity’s study: nearly half of shoppers reported they would be less likely to patronize a specific retailer if their mobile shopping experience is poor; after browsing a retailer’s site more than a third of respondents still made their purchases at a brick-and-mortar store; and nearly half said they plan to spend at least $100 on holiday gifts using smartphone or tablet apps and websites.
So what does this mean for the apps and mobile sites that these and hundreds of other retailers are using? Simply put, it’s all about mobile compliancy, making sure that a website, once designed, will render perfectly across the spectrum of mobile platforms. And this is a critical issue facing the entire tech industry, especially considering that, according to recent Google survey, 61 percent of users will actually leave a website if it’s not optimized for their mobile device.
Website design firms such as Byte Technology are already making plans to focus on mobile-compliant designs for their client’s sites in 2014. Indeed, Byte Technology is even going one step further, designing sites that can be made compatible with wearable devices such as Google Glass and smartwatches.
With e-tailer and other mobile-centric activities a critical part of so many people’s daily lives, there’s no doubt that an industry-wide surge in mobile compliant and optimized websites is on the immediate horizon.
