Monetate: $42b spent online but shoppers worry about shipping

Monetate's data shows that shopping conversions peaked around Free Shopping Day (December 17) and then steadily declined as the holiday grew nearer; conversion rates then spiked again on December 26 - the day after Christmas. This, researchers believe, shows many shoppers do not believe those 'estimated shipping' dates offered on most ecommerce sites.

Some interesting findings include:

• 'Traditional' ecommerce conversions (via PC) in December 2012 were 5.20% (vs. 4.66%, December 2011)
• Tablet conversions reached 4.13% (vs. 3.96%, December 2011)
• Smartphone conversions were steady at 1.32% (vs. 1.30%, December 2011)

Breaking down the mobile commerce numbers a little more, the Monetate report shows tablet conversion rates ranged from 5.24% (Black Friday) to 6.31% (Cyber Monday) and 5.01% on Free Shipping Day. Smartphone conversions were steady throughout the season, locking in between 1.49% and 1.83%.

The differences in devices, though, indicate more retailers may want to pay attention to iPad consumers, as iPad conversion rates and average order sizes were significantly higher than the rates on Kindle's Fire; Android tablet rates were also higher than Kindle's.

But don't count out the traditional website. Monetate points out that most online shoppers continue to find products via store websites; their experts suggest that retailers make the most of the ecommerce experience by making it simple for online shoppers to find local store information, account information and on-site search. They also note that calls to action via tablet and computer should be different.

Tags: ecommerce, ecommerce shipping, ecommerce trends, Monetate