80% of UK companies don't have mobile websites research finds
80% of companies in the UK are said to be ignoring the mobile revolution having failed to develop a mobile optimised website, a survey has discovered.
Research conducted by EPiServer, which canvassed the opinions of over 200 senior marketing executives and over 1,000 consumers in the UK, found that only 20% of companies has optimised their website for mobile access, despite73% of consumers having been found to have access to websites through their mobile devices.
Meanwhile, only 18% of companies had dedicated mobile apps, despite 76% of companies claiming to have a mobile strategy in place. Just over one quarter (26%) also expected to launch a mobile-optimised site this year.
Consumer feedback to the survey claimed that 32% of respondents found mobile websites hard to navigate, while 35% also said that they would leave any mobile site that was difficult to use. Almost half (49%) of consumers said that they found mobile websites to be slow, and 35% said that logins were difficult through mobile sites also.
Marketers also highlighted their frustrations with mobile websites, with just under a quarter (24%) citing a lack of technology as a barrier to developing a coherent strategy, while 23% cited budget and 7% said it was difficult to prove their ROI.
Maria Wasing, VP of marketing Europe & sales operations at EPiServer, commented: “It is unfortunate to see that consumer expectations are not always being met. Our research clearly highlights the increasing importance of an effective mobile strategy in order to attract new customers and to effectively serve existing ones.
“The number of consumers carrying an internet-enabled device with them at all times is rocketing and, by thinking about the best approach for your brand now, businesses can make the most of the growing mobile opportunity.”