Half of top U.K. retailers optimize websites for mobile vs. 100% in U.S.

British retailers are struggling to keep up with U.S. counterparts due to a lack of mobile optimization, according to new research from mobile app firm Skava.

by Helen Leggatt

According to Skava's recent study, just half of the UK's top 100 retailers have mobile-optimized websites. That compares to 100% of the top U.S. retailers.

Arish Ali, chief executive of Skava, says the attitude of retailers towards optimization for mobile devices is leaving European retailers at risk of limiting sales opportunities.

"Our recent findings show that European retailers have been slower to optimize their mobile websites, despite the demands from their customers and the revenue potential of catering to their needs," said Ali.

And yet, U.S. retailers are already in their second wave of mobile commerce with retailers continually improving their mobile website offerings.

Skava also noted, using data from Forrester, that mobile ecommerce accounts for just 1% of all online sales in the UK, despite Europeans showing an interest in mobile shopping.

However, m-commerce is growing at more than 43% annually and, by 2017, is expected to be responsible for more than 6.5% of online sales within the UK. Retailers need to respond quickly to consumer expectations if they are to avoid disappointing consumers with unacceptable mobile shopping experiences.

Image via Shutterstock

Tags: e-commerce, Europe, m-commerce, mobile optimization, mobile shopping, retail trends, UK, US