A study done by BrightEdge revealed in detail what everyone knew in general; a 125 percent increase in mobile traffic to websites through smartphones and tablets as compared to 2012. However, not all industries have witnessed a massive rise in conversions even though they may have witnessed higher mobile traffic.
The study by BrightEdge was conducted on 6,000 customers of the firm and on web-traffic that tracked over 5 billion pages to compare traffic and conversions between desktops and smartphones/tablets.
The BrightEdge study revealed that the 3 top industries currently witnessing the most mobile growth were Software and Technology, followed by Financial Services, and then by Real Estate. However, in terms of conversions, only one-third of mobile users transformed into conversions, even though tablet users had the same conversions rate as desktops.
BrightEdge attributed low conversions from mobiles to marketers that failed to understand the specific needs of mobile users in providing a happy user experience. Mobile users used different devices and also differed in the way they engaged and interacted with a website. Marketers actually need to study this behavior and should develop responsive sites to boost visits and conversions.
Mobile marketers also need to follow Google’s guidelines for mobile as well as follow best possible practices to ensure effective mobile optimization. Mobile marketers need to especially focus on mobile-only 404s as well as app-download messages that prevented smartphone users from enjoying their experience.
The study also revealed that industries such as Media and Entertainment recorded a higher conversion rate of 1.6x from mobiles as compared to desktops. Specific categories such as those related to Travel and Hospitality and eCommerce too enjoyed more conversions from smartphones as compared to desktops.
The BrightEdge study revealed that sites that featured videos as well as multi-media content enjoyed more mobile conversions. Hence, brands that were trying to boost their presence on mobiles should seriously think about featuring video content for visitors. The study revealed that those mobile marketers in the Media and Entertainment industry that had optimized their assets for users of mobiles including providing a comfortable reading experience on smartphone screens reaped better rewards.
Those sites that actually configured their sites for mobiles rather than forcing visitors to move to desktops or laptops for conversions actually enjoyed higher conversion rates as compared to others. If your mobile site is witnessing higher mobile traffic, but lower conversions in comparison to that traffic then it may be time to head back to the drawing board and offer an improved user experience to all mobile visitors to your site.