Though many mobile marketers continue to invest in push notifications, few actually use the medium for marketing messaging. All told, 62% of the top 100 online retailers prompt users to opt in to push notifications, 27% more than 2012, according to a recent study from mobile marketing platform OtherLevels. However only 31% of these retailers actually send push notifications to opt-in consumers.
Throughout 2013, OtherLevels downloaded and tested mobile apps from the top 500 online retailers as ranked by InternetRetailer.com, and compiled the findings in the study. The study found that 80% of consumers’ mobile interactions take place in apps. At 77%, most of the top 100 online retailers have responded to consumer preference by publishing apps; 40% of the top 500 retailers have done so, as well. About 66% of the top 100 e-retailers publish both iOS and Android versions of their app.
Just 16% of the top 100 online retailers integrate with social media for login credentials, and only 40% prompt users to opt in to share their GPS locations. Less than 2% of the top 500 online retailers have a rich inbox in their app, which allows for email-esque content inside the app. Only 35% of consumers prefer mobile apps over mobile Web when it comes to shopping; an unsurprising fact considering the varying degrees of user experience for mobile apps.
