Important Differences Between Mobile & Desktop Conversion

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Craig Smith  |  Founder & CEO

There’s a stark contrast between mobile and desktop conversion. Whether it’s the user interaction with the platform or the data metrics and insights, there are clear cut differences between the two. Follow along webmasters and shop owners because in this post we will explore a few of the most important factors in mobile versus desktop (and tablet) conversion.

Mobile Conversions are Increasing Year Over Year, but are Still Rare

While consumers are becoming more apt to search for and ultimately purchase goods via their mobile devices, the numbers indicate that the amount of users who do so are still pretty low. For instance, smartphone conversion rates in 2014 ranged from .63 percent to 1.37 percent across 13 industries, according to data gathered by Mobify — a mobile commerce platform. To get a better idea of smartphone conversion rates by industry, here are a few data points:

  • Food/Drug: 1.37%
  • Apparel/Accessories: 0.87%
  • Books/Music/Video: 0.87%
  • Computers/Electronics: 0.68%

Mobify analyzed mobile conversion statistics in 13 industry categories. Conversions from smartphones ranged from .63 percent to 1.37 percent.  Conversions from tablets were higher, ranging from 1.67 percent to 3.65 percent.

Clearly these numbers are not very high, but mobile purchasing capabilities are still young and growing. In short, consumers are still more likely to finalize their purchases from a desktop. Which leads to the next point.

Consumers Use Multiple Devices

The quest to make a purchase has evolved. For example, visitors might see an item in-store, take out their phone, search for a lower price and then complete the purchase online from a desktop at home. There are many methods and searching sessions a buyer may go through before actually converting. This is why your site must be mobile-friendly. Especially because Google has just rolled out a new mobile platform that has been built specifically for mobile searchers. Also, here’s a great new Google tool that will tell you whether or not your site has a mobile-friendly design.

For a more comprehensive overview of mobile versus desktop conversion, visit Practical eCommerce here.

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