IBM today announced the results of its Q1 2012 online mobile and buying trends study. The results showed that mobile commerce accounted for 13.3 percent of all sales, up from just 7% during Q1 2011, said Jay Henderson, strategy director at IBM Digital Marketing.
The study showed that mobile traffic to retailer sites made up 17% of total traffic, up from 11% during Q1 2011, Henderson said. This is important because it shows that mobile e-commerce is a significant driver to retail sites, he said.
“Lo and behold, I think 2012 may actually finally be the year of mobile. For us, that’s one of the most exciting trends,” Henderson said. “No longer are we talking about the interesting trend to watch. Mobile’s arrived.”
And it’s not just about phones anymore, he said. IPads are making up a significant part of the mobile device traffic at 5.3%. Consumers are simply moving away from shopping online using their stationary desktops, Henderson says, which is at once exciting and challenging for CMOs.
“Each of the different devices and channels has subtle nuances to them,” he said. “No longer are you just trying to personalize a message for several million customers, you’re also trying to personalize that for a device.”
The study also measured customer sentiment. IBM found that consumers are looking at online shopping, including mobile shopping, more favorably, he said. Convenience, according to the study was a leading factor in the positive sentiment, as were value (sales and deals) and online interaction.
The Q1 study is the first of its kind of IBM, Henderson said. Typically, these studies were only released during holiday seasons. Now, he said, IBM will announce these numbers quarterly.
