Page loads can be a mobile problem, too

With more consumers using not only desktops but mobile devices to both research products, and purchase them, more mobile commerce sites are popping up. The problem? Many merchants aren't prepared for the mobile space.

by Kristina Knight

Kristina: Mobile commerce seems to be making strides forward for customers. Are brands doing a good job of incorporating mcommerce into their overall strategy?

Mike Milligan, Senior Director of Product Solution & Marketing, Limelight Networks: Online retail brands recognize that mobile commerce is continuing to play a larger role in their ecommerce strategy, and customer expectations continue to rise. In fact, data from our recent State of the User Experience study shows smartphones are the primary device for accessing digital content -- followed closely by laptops and tablets. The problem with these on-the-go devices is that a lot more can go wrong in terms of web performance. Think about it -- people browse on their smartphone when they're on the go or simply have down-time, and often this is from places that are not optimal for network connections. The good news is there are technologies and strategies that can be implemented to improve the mobile commerce experience, regardless of bandwidth limitations. If they don't seriously consider these options, retailers aren't just hurting the chances of a customer making a purchase, they're hurting their brand image in the long-term.

Kristina: What changes do retailers and other brands need to make to ensure they're offering a strong mobile experience?

Mike: The key to an efficient, high-performing mobile commerce experience that keeps customers coming back is getting smarter about content delivery. This can be solved with a content delivery network (CDN), which can get content closer to end users. This technology is effective at improving the shopping experience across devices because it leverages strategies such as caching and accelerating the delivery of web content to help remove the barriers mobile shoppers often face due to network limitations. Specifically, CDNs cache static content, such as the images and text that don't change from transaction to transaction, keeping all of this information in servers across the globe so it can be quickly delivered without lag. In addition, CDNs can improve the online experience by automatically recognizing what type of mobile device a customer is using and automatically delivering content that is optimized for the user's screen size and operating system.

Kristina: Page load times have been shown to drive shoppers away from digital stores - is the same true in mobile?

Mike: With broadband speeds continuing to increase globally, consumers expect fast online experiences. In fact, our recent research report revealed the majority of consumers will wait less than 5 seconds before becoming frustrated and / or leaving a website. What's even more noteworthy is that more than half of consumers expect the same level of online performance, regardless of whether they are using a mobile device or a laptop. Digging into ecommerce-specific data, nearly four in ten consumers (38%) will leave a website and buy products from a competitor if they're forced to wait for a page to load. It's clear that today's consumers take online shopping seriously, and they expect the ecommerce experience to be top notch, or they'll leave. It's vital that etailers recognize this and factor it into their mobile strategy to help maximize revenue.

More from Mike and Limelight tomorrow, including his top 3 tips to improve m:commerce strategy.

Tags: ecommerce, Limelight Networks, M:Commerce trends, mobile commerce, mobile marketing