Mobile Websites Deliver an 'Adequate' Shopping Experience, Survey Finds

The survey revealed some posive findings about merchants’ mobile sites in general, meaningful retail locators, inventory-sensitive store product locators, relevant search functionality and snafu-free checkouts. However, the ease of contacting customer service was inconsistent or lacking.

M-Commerce Merchant Strengths
The follwing ls a list of strengths most m-commerce sites have, according to the study:

• enable a satisfactory shopping experience, even if it isn't ideal;
• create an overall look and feel that's consistent with the brand;
• provide a full range of categories and products, with a few exceptions;
• offer keyword search, though the quality of execution varies;
• facilitate buying decisions by providing an adequate amount of product information; and
• for those sites that have ratings and reviews, enough products are included to support the buying process.

M-Commerce Merchant Weaknesses
Here's a list of weaknesses most m-commerce sites have, according to the study:

• are either inaccessible via direct URL entry or Google search, or are inadequately promoted on their merchant e-commerce sites, via targeted emails and on in-store collateral materials;
• technical snafus are abundant;
• cross-channel integration is deficient;
• there's an inability to access customer profile information like shipping/billing addresses, payment information, and saved wish lists or shopping carts;
• aren't always optimized for the platform or browser on which they're being viewed;
• search tools and search results aren't being optimized; and
• one-click settings and sticky forms aren't in place to accommodate convenience and the time-saving demands of today's harried shoppers.