Too few retailers have a solid mobile presence today, however, 41 per cent plan to have a transactional mobile site or application in place within the next year, according to the results of a research partnership between the Association for Interactive Media and Entertainment (AIME), the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG). The study found that while mobile commerce is still very much at the consideration stage, the majority of retailers surveyed expect mobile commerce to be part of their main strategy within the next 12 months.

AIME, the IAB and the IMRG commissioned eDigital Research to survey 140 marketing professionals from the retail, advertising and mobile service provider sectors in the UK to understand attitudes, behaviours and perceived challenges to mobile commerce. 59 per cent of the senior-level representatives from UK retail brands that took part expected their mobile revenues to increase over the next 12 months, and 94 per cent saw it as a real opportunity for their business.

The research highlights the need for retailers to move faster to keep up with consumers who are already seeking out retail websites via their mobile phones. Each month in the UK, 4.2m consumers are visiting retailers’ websites using the mobile internet (GSMA and comScore, 2010).

However, just four out of the top 20 most frequently visited retailer websites are presently optimised for mobile, and only eight of the top 20 have any kind of mobile application for smartphones. This means that many retailers could be missing out on additional revenues from the ready-and-willing mobile consumer traffic to their sites.

Commenting on the research, Sienne Veit, social and mobile commerce development manager at M&S Direct says: “Mobile internet sits at the heart of many of our customers’ lives, and we’ve invested significant resource to ensuring that their mobile experience is as straightforward and rewarding as possible. This research from AIME, the IAB and IMRG highlights how emerging mobile media looks set to play a much stronger role in UK commerce, and for us as retailers it’s been essential to establish a solid mobile presence to fully complement the evolving customer journey.”

Whilst most retailers believe their mobile revenues will increase over the next few years, currently around 63 per cent either make less than 1 per cent of their total revenues via mobile, or don’t measure their mobile revenues at all, citing a lack of knowledge and expertise about the mobile platform.

The majority of UK retail brands welcomed the opportunity for further training in mobile commerce and advertising, recognising the increasing part the medium will play in the customer journey – 74 per cent of those respondents stated that they would like to receive training in this area. Currently, one in 10 retail marketers cites themselves as a ‘mobile expert’, while 43 per cent believe they have a basic knowledge of the medium.

In the coming months, the AIME, IAB and IMRG will be holding a series of events around mobile commerce, as well as producing educational materials for retail brands and conducting further research into the behaviours and attitudes of UK consumers in this area.

“The results of this survey clearly demonstrates the opportunity for m-commerce to develop rapidly over the next 24 months from a £500m industry today,” says
Edward Boddington, chairman of AIME and CEO of Harvest Media. “Increasingly, consumers are looking for best deals, especially in a tough economy, and mobile represents the most convenient tool for instant redemption in the form of coupons and also loyalty clubs.”

Alex Kozloff, mobile manager for the Internet Advertising Bureau adds: “For brands, extending their presence onto mobile has been a daunting prospect, simply due to the new jargon, technologies and tricks of the trade that need to be understood in order to make the most of the medium. But with UK consumers already seeking out brands on their mobile phones, in particular retailers, it really is essential that marketers ensure the mobile experience they offer is just as useful, usable and engaging as their other properties, both on and offline. If they don’t, those competitors who have already put mobile on the agenda may start to steal their otherwise loyal customers.”