Testing from the Internet Advertising Bureau has gone about debunking the myth that UK brands are not serving their customers with mobile optimised sites.
A survey from group conducted on 250 of the nation’s top advertisers reveals that eight in ten (80%) are ready to serve the current influx of smartphone and tablet browsers with sites geared towards their devices.
There is still room for improvement, as only half of these are responsively designed. Yet there are signs that brands are taking mobile seriously, and a number of sectors have recorded noticeable improvements from last year.
Retailers lose out
According to the IAB, retailers are falling behind in their mobile readiness; this based on the fact that 64% have a site optimised for mobile use, up from 60% last year.
The adoption rate was far below those for companies in other sectors, such as automotive (94%), travel (87%) and fast-moving consumer goods (72%).
Retailers were also found to be lagging behind in their ability to monetise through mobile, as only 32% boasted a fully transactional mobile app. This figure was found to be far below the study-wide average of 68%.
Mobile comes of age
Despite the below-par showing from retailers, IAB senior mobile executive Mike Reynolds claimed that positives could be taken from the survey ahead of what’s likely to be a huge year for mobile.
“The audit shows that brands are finally putting mobile as a top priority, which is great to see,” he commented.
“There are still some gaps though, especially when you consider that brands are spending their budgets on mobile advertising, however their shop fronts still aren’t optimised for mobile.”
A separate study from RetailMeNot tips mobile spending to hit £15 billion in Britain this year, and Reynolds expects advertisers to rise to the challenge.
“Over the next 12 months I foresee that brands that have achieved the basics of mobile will focus on building on the quality of their mobile presence.”