One-in-four UK SMEs to go mobile in 2015

Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of UK-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) plan to adopt a mobile-optimised website or app in 2015, according to a new study from eBay.

The research found that of the SMEs to have already adopted a mobile presence, almost half (45 per cent) have experienced an uplift in sales conversion with eight per cent seeing an increase of over 20 per cent.

As a consequence, more than half of small businesses with an online presence will have optimised their presence on mobile devices by developing a brand new strategy.

According to eBay’s sales data, mobile accounts for one-fifth of its global transactions but that figure is fast expanding year-on-year with a 66 per cent increase in 2014.

In addition, a recent Ofcom report found that two-fifths (41 per cent) of consumers now spend a minimum of £100 online via mobile devices.

With functionality on smartphone devices now comparable with a laptop, consumers increasingly prefer to use a mobile device for day-to-day tasks and SMEs would do well to recognise this trend as part of a mobile strategy.

Johnny Gabbai, head of mobile, eBay, said: “This is good news for developers and most importantly for consumers.

“We know that the everyday activity of shopping has been transformed over the past few years, thanks to the growth of online retail and adoption of smartphones.

“Going mobile can make the difference between converting that sale or making that good impression.

“Small businesses are vital to the UK because they can make rapid decisions, price competitively and adapt quickly to meet changing consumer demand.

“They are the innovators of UK retail. Their rapid adoption of mobile is just another example of this.”


Image: Tristan Nitot

Date published 17 Feb 2015 | Last updated 17 Feb 2015