There are now some 5.052 billion mobile users, accounting for 67% of the world's population. And with WiFi and 4G now widely available, the pace of mobile activity is continually on the rise: mobile web traffic is up 21% over the previous year.
Beyond its usefulness to consumers, mobile commerce offers key advantages from a business perspective:
- Tablet devices account for the highest add-to-cart rates on e-commerce websites at 8.58%. (Smart Insights)
- Average smartphone conversion rates are up 64% compared to the average desktop conversion rates. (CMS Report)
Alibaba is a prime example: “Mobile revenue for its Chinese e-commerce business increased 80 percent to US$13.18 billion, generating 80 percent of its total retail revenue in the country. Monetisation of its mobile commerce platforms outstripped that of desktop”.
Given this surge in mobile activity, there can be no doubt about it: e-commerce operators must eliminate any potential points of friction that users may experience on their web sites. Consumers are more demanding than ever and expect a slick and seamless experience. Speed is therefore among consumers' top requirements when it comes to the mobile experience. This then raises the question: how can we reduce loading times on our mobile web site?