November 15, 2012
Optimize This: Tablet Owners Seek Site Upgrades
Color me confused. Industry sources have forecast online sales will grow by double-digits this holiday season. Also understood is that since a growing number of consumers have purchased tablets in recent years, more of those online purchases will be made using an iPad, Kindle, Nook, etc. So why then does new research find that only seven percent of the top 100 retailers in the U.S. have websites optimized for tablets?
According to research by Skava, 95 percent of retailers’ websites are optimized for smartphones even though tablet owners are four times more likely than phone owners to use their device to shop. Tablet owners also spend an average of $123 compared to $102 for PC users and $80 for those with a mobile phone.
Skava’s research identified "common stumbling blocks" that tablet users face when going to sites not optimized for their device. These include:
- Site not optimized to switch between landscape and portrait
- Images not working correctly
- Drop down buttons not functioning
- Text too small
- White space
- Links difficult to click
While the vast majority of merchants will not have a tablet-optimized site for this holiday season, the rate of adoption is picking up, according to Arish Ali, co-founder and president, Skava.
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Discussion Questions
Are retailers moving quickly enough to optimize websites for tablet users? What opportunities and challenges do tablets pose for merchants?
Poll
No they are not. Plain and simple. The drop down menus alone are enough to have you go running for your laptop or desktop computer. Images that are placed on the right hand side of the page are almost always cut off, etc, etc. This may be as big as an out-of-stock problem because if you can’t get the item you are looking for, you will go elsewhere. Not trying to minimize the effort here, but optimizing a site for tablets so that it does not turn you off to that retailer is not rocket science but has to be done in order to take advantage of this critical selling season for retail.
Where will the device trend settle in the next 12 months? I think somewhere in a balance of large enough text size to easily read and a small enough device size to carry all day. I see a 7-inch tablet being the norm.
So, for now, retailers and CPGers must optimize sites on multiple devices until a clear winner emerges. Remember Beta vs. VHS, etc?
This article is just another reason for me to say “Thank God I’m not a CIO anymore!” I mean, think how many directions those poor people are being pulled in:
– Give me my “Big Data” (Why? I dunno, but it sure sounds important)
– Where are my predictive analytics (I know why…but it takes time)
– I need cross-channel inventory and order visibility bad (yup)
– Mobile in the stores!!! Everyone else has it (well, they don’t, but they should)
– What do you mean you took layaway capabilities out of the POS?
– I’ve got a hot RFID pilot going. How’re we going to reconcile the counts? (beats me, but that’s another story for another day)
– I’ve gotta have content management systems – too many channels too much media to keep track of.
– I need the mobile web site NOW (YES, you really do).
– Reduce your budget by 5%. We’ve got to show better earnings (where’s my hari kari sword?)
Retailers aren’t moving fast enough for the consumers. The only solution is buying into an extensible digital platform which costs money and shows no immediate discernible results. Infrastructure matters, but it’s a really hard sell.
Good luck, my friends!!
Clearly retailers aren’t moving fast enough. As a tablet user I’ve found myself in ‘site abandonment’ because of a frustrating or flat out broken experience on tablets. The evidence/data is there, in the industry studies showing tablet users growing, with higher incomes, conversion rates and cart sizes, and in the retailers own weblogs; it’s something that can’t be ignored. Even in categories that would seem more old school, like car parts and accessories, are top categories purchased with mobile/tablets.
Clearly the answer is that retailers are not moving quick enough in this area. I have looked at many retail sites and encounter all of the criticisms mentioned in the research. And it isn’t limited to retailers…my bank makes a point of saying that you can’t use bill pay with an iPad. And the message has been there for a year, and every time I see it I get increasingly frustrated with the lack of this capability given the rise in tablet use. So everyone needs to step this up!
Websites designed and built to maintain access for the full variety of commonly used devices need a very large amount of resources like memory, network servers, storage space and communication protocols. Processor(s) speed and communication bandwidth are also taxed to accommodate the devices discussed here. Many retail companies are finding the investment risks involved to fully open e-commerce doors to be to high. This is especially true when weighed in is the companies ability to compete in this low margin/free shipping IT mall.
What we are seeing is the retailers decision to build access method by priority. For now, sites designed to accommodate smartphones and personal computers are getting the investment dollars. Handheld tablets are a generation or two from being relatively equal in power and superior in abilities to lap tops. As these devices evolve the need for special website characteristics will significantly reduce itself. Look for voice-keyboard and office software apps as a sign that these devices are maturing to planned levels and ready to compete with personal computers and laptops.
Nope, but they also don’t have the resources to develop for what could be a moving target. They must set their priorities accordingly. Are their priorities right? Not always!
Retailers need to move faster to optimize for Tablets. However, it is still early and too many standards. It will take some time, but within a couple of years I would imagine most major retailers will not only optimize their regular sites, but have created many innovative apps.
Retailers are moving too slow here and missing out on big opportunities. The article does a good job of summarizing the current state of affairs. Also, as they optimize retailers should not fall into the trap of focusing just on flashy content and brand imagery. Tablet sites need to be easy to navigate and they should be optimized for conversion.
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No they are not. Plain and simple. The drop down menus alone are enough to have you go running for your laptop or desktop computer. Images that are placed on the right hand side of the page are almost always cut off, etc, etc. This may be as big as an out-of-stock problem because if you can’t get the item you are looking for, you will go elsewhere. Not trying to minimize the effort here, but optimizing a site for tablets so that it does not turn you off to that retailer is not rocket science but has to be done in order to take advantage of this critical selling season for retail.
Where will the device trend settle in the next 12 months? I think somewhere in a balance of large enough text size to easily read and a small enough device size to carry all day. I see a 7-inch tablet being the norm.
So, for now, retailers and CPGers must optimize sites on multiple devices until a clear winner emerges. Remember Beta vs. VHS, etc?
This article is just another reason for me to say “Thank God I’m not a CIO anymore!” I mean, think how many directions those poor people are being pulled in:
– Give me my “Big Data” (Why? I dunno, but it sure sounds important)
– Where are my predictive analytics (I know why…but it takes time)
– I need cross-channel inventory and order visibility bad (yup)
– Mobile in the stores!!! Everyone else has it (well, they don’t, but they should)
– What do you mean you took layaway capabilities out of the POS?
– I’ve got a hot RFID pilot going. How’re we going to reconcile the counts? (beats me, but that’s another story for another day)
– I’ve gotta have content management systems – too many channels too much media to keep track of.
– I need the mobile web site NOW (YES, you really do).
– Reduce your budget by 5%. We’ve got to show better earnings (where’s my hari kari sword?)
Retailers aren’t moving fast enough for the consumers. The only solution is buying into an extensible digital platform which costs money and shows no immediate discernible results. Infrastructure matters, but it’s a really hard sell.
Good luck, my friends!!
Clearly retailers aren’t moving fast enough. As a tablet user I’ve found myself in ‘site abandonment’ because of a frustrating or flat out broken experience on tablets. The evidence/data is there, in the industry studies showing tablet users growing, with higher incomes, conversion rates and cart sizes, and in the retailers own weblogs; it’s something that can’t be ignored. Even in categories that would seem more old school, like car parts and accessories, are top categories purchased with mobile/tablets.
Clearly the answer is that retailers are not moving quick enough in this area. I have looked at many retail sites and encounter all of the criticisms mentioned in the research. And it isn’t limited to retailers…my bank makes a point of saying that you can’t use bill pay with an iPad. And the message has been there for a year, and every time I see it I get increasingly frustrated with the lack of this capability given the rise in tablet use. So everyone needs to step this up!
Websites designed and built to maintain access for the full variety of commonly used devices need a very large amount of resources like memory, network servers, storage space and communication protocols. Processor(s) speed and communication bandwidth are also taxed to accommodate the devices discussed here. Many retail companies are finding the investment risks involved to fully open e-commerce doors to be to high. This is especially true when weighed in is the companies ability to compete in this low margin/free shipping IT mall.
What we are seeing is the retailers decision to build access method by priority. For now, sites designed to accommodate smartphones and personal computers are getting the investment dollars. Handheld tablets are a generation or two from being relatively equal in power and superior in abilities to lap tops. As these devices evolve the need for special website characteristics will significantly reduce itself. Look for voice-keyboard and office software apps as a sign that these devices are maturing to planned levels and ready to compete with personal computers and laptops.
Nope, but they also don’t have the resources to develop for what could be a moving target. They must set their priorities accordingly. Are their priorities right? Not always!
Retailers need to move faster to optimize for Tablets. However, it is still early and too many standards. It will take some time, but within a couple of years I would imagine most major retailers will not only optimize their regular sites, but have created many innovative apps.
Retailers are moving too slow here and missing out on big opportunities. The article does a good job of summarizing the current state of affairs. Also, as they optimize retailers should not fall into the trap of focusing just on flashy content and brand imagery. Tablet sites need to be easy to navigate and they should be optimized for conversion.