Just 8% Of UK Top Retailers Have Tablet-Optimised Website

It seems that whilst UK retailers are rushing to optimise their websites for mobile phones, many are forgetting to consider consumers with other devices, such as tablets.

According to the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK, 74% of the country’s top 50 retailers have already built a web page that looks perfect on mobile screens, yet just 8% of them have optimised their websites for tablets. This implies that the adoption of mobile and tablet as key marketing tools amongst the top spending retailers still has areas for improvement. Tablet use now accounts for an average of 4.4 hours of web browsing a week, meaning this is an area that should not be ignored by retailers, IAB Noted.

Of those retailers having made their website mobile-friendly, 81% now allow customers to order goods and services. Amongst those brands that have an app (62%), however, just 48% have made them transactional.

Brands also fail to deliver a seamless digital experience across desktop and mobile channels, as 90% of retailers are yet to take measures to provide unified account access.

Still, there are some sectors which perform better than others, particularly those selling fashion items, according to the research.

Whilst fashion retailers “have grasped the essentials” of the importance of mobile, many of the top 50 brands are yet to get to grips with this particular channel. But given the growing number of consumers shopping online, they can’t afford to keep this window shut for customers, IAB’s head of mobile Alex Kozloff commented.