Though some marketers have been slow to embrace mobile, online retailers have actively invested in the channel over the past 12 months.
According to research by digital strategy firm Acquity Group, 37 percent of the top 500 online retailers now have mobile-specific sites, representing 210 percent growth from the 12 percent that did so in 2010.
They’re almost as bullish on the application front, with 26 percent owning a downloadable app for at least one platform, representing a 278 percent increase from the 7 percent that had one last year.
Given that 6.8 percent of all traffic now comes from non-desktop devices, per ComScore, that investment appears sensible. While marketers can afford to ramp up their mobile focus slowly, retailers don’t have that luxury. Users once shopped from their couches using laptops, but as they rapidly migrate to smartphones and tablet devices, it’s becoming essential for retailers to follow suit.
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