Etailers neglecting the mobile shopper - report

UK retailers are squandering potential revenue by neglecting their mobile shoppers, the Live Chat Effectiveness report commissioned by LogMeIn has found. In failing to capitalise on mobile commerce – one of the most lucrative sales platforms available – they are missing out on big bucks.

Just 12% of retailers in the UK provide live chat support for their mobile customers. This is despite recent surveys and research reports making it pretty clear that the service boosts conversion rates. With over a quarter of potential punters more likely to bite the bullet and make that purchase after a chat with an online assistant, it makes no sense why they can’t do this on their phones, considering that half of people now use their mobiles as their primary internet source.

Online spending is soaring to dizzying heights, with experts forecasting UK etailers in 2014 to generate just under £50 billion in sales, of which over £9 billion is expected to come from m-commerce. Despite the impressive number of zeros these figures contain, it’s apparently just not enough to grab the attention of online retailers.

LogMeIn focused on 120 of the most prominent online stores in the UK, with an aim to figure out how they are adapting – or not, as the case may be – to this ecommerce shift. Even support on desktop devices isn’t as widely available as it perhaps could be; the investigation concluded that only 20% of retailers offer any kind of live chat online. Such figures are suggesting retailers aren’t up to speed with their consumers, who place web chat as their third most popular channel of retail support.

“A high street store without shop assistants is almost unimaginable, yet that’s the experience many retailers are offering shoppers online,” said Ross Haskell, Director of Products, BoldChat at LogMeIn, Inc. “If shoppers need help, most have to pick up the phone or wait for a response by email or on social media. By incorporating live chat into the online customer journey, retailers can give shoppers the chance to ask for assistance, without any interruptions, when and how they want it.”