What Does the Rise in Mobile Transactions Mean for B2B
On the whole, mobile transactions have grown in the last year with a leap from 39% to 49% in the rates of mobile conversions (i.e. where the purchase takes place on a phone) according to data from AccuraCast. The same research found that desktop conversions occur 60% more than mobile conversions, and that these desktop purchases are worth 93% more than those conducted on mobile phones.
If we look at this data we can surmise that higher value transactions probably take place more often on desktops (a term which includes laptops) due to the nature of the purchase – spending several thousand on new machinery is generally an activity that isn't undertaken on the go. A customer might want to compare prices or read technical documentation which is too difficult to properly read on a mobile phone screen. They are also more likely to be making this purchase from an office as those with the authority to spend big tend not to be working in the field, they're usually office based. In addition, it may be necessary to document purchase orders, email authorisation and other administrative paperwork and this is easier done from an office.
With this in mind, some B2B companies might wonder why it's worth optimising their websites for mobile browsers and why they might investigate advertising online, on mobile friendly sites.It comes down to accessibility and reputation. Even when a customer has purchased your product they might want to check something or download a manual to use on site or out in the field. If they can't access and use your website properly on a mobile device they won't be happy, and may not purchase from you again.It's worth remembering that your business customers are also individuals who will browse the internet in their leisure time or while commuting and they're likely to do this on their phones. If your website is easy to use on a mobile device you'll stand out and entice customers who aren't quite at the purchase stage, but who are in the process of deciding who to buy from.
Several studies have shown that most consumers are using multiple devices to browse and research before making purchases, and that the purchase decision level influences how much leg-work is done pre-purchase. For B2B companies selling high value products and services it is expected that the website will be visited several times by different people at different stages of the decision, so ignoring the mobile elements of this could be very risky indeed.
In some industries online sales aren't the main revenue stream, and in some cases it's not feasible to provide an e-commerce platform due to the nature of the product or service – you can't buy a full service security system over the internet because a lot hinges on the result of a site visit and often a conversation needs to happen between the business and the client to agree exactly what the order will cover. This doesn't mean you can sit back and ignore the mobile (and even the desktop) view of your website because it's still an important presence – it's the face of your business online and a very vital part of getting that sales conversation started.
Our technical team ensures that the mobile view of the websites we design and build, is just as user friendly and visually appealing as the desktop view. We want to build sites where the user journey is seamless and smooth, whether they complete the purchase online or not and we understand that some business don't have an e-commerce capability due to the nature of what they sell. Either way, we can make your website sing on mobile and attract customers to you whatever device they browse on.
