A new study by Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) suggests to Online Retailers to rethink the shopping experience for tablet users. According to the inaugural Adobe Digital Marketing Insights report, tablet visitors spend more money per purchase than smartphone or traditional visitors and are much more likely to purchase than smartphone visitors. In fact, they are nearly as likely to purchase as traditional visitors.
In the study, Adobe analyzed 16.2 billion anonymous visits to the websites of more than 150 top U.S. retailers. Results showed that, during the 2011 holiday season and throughout 2011, tablet visitors spent more per purchase than visitors using smartphones or traditional desktops and laptops, suggesting that tablet visitors were the most valuable online customers in 2011.
Key Report Findings Included:
- Tablet visitors spent over 50% more per purchase and were nearly three times more likely to purchase than smartphone visitors.
- Tablet visitors spent over 20% more per purchase and were nearly as likely to make a purchase as traditional visitors.
Why Tablet Visitors May Be More Valuable
Adobe’s analysis identifies two factors that could explain why tablet visitors might be more valuable to retailers. First, tablet visitors are more affluent than other online shoppers and tend to be males. According to the June 2011 study, A Portrait of Today’s Tablet User, by the Online Publishers Association (OPA), 12% of the U.S. Internet population, or 28 million consumers, own a tablet. Tablet owners skew toward 18- to 34-year-old males and come from households with above average incomes: 29% have an annual household income greater than $75,000.
Second, the environment in which tablet visitors shop online, along with the tablet user experience itself, could be more conducive to online shopping than that enjoyed by smartphone and traditional visitors. For example, tablet shopping might occur in a less stressful environment. Adobe’s analysis shows that 34% of tablet visitors shopped on the weekends, compared with 24% and 27% for traditional and smartphone visitors, respectively. This metric is supported by the 2011 OPA study, which reported 58% of tablet use occurs at home. According to the same study, 52% of tablet owners prefer to shop online using their tablets; 40% preferred using a traditional computer.
While the percentage of all online shoppers attributed to tablet visitors remains relatively small, 4% according to Adobe’s study, this segment is expected to grow. According to Gartner, worldwide tablet sales was on pace to total 63.6 million units in 2011, a 261.4% increase from 2010. In fact, Gartner estimates the tablet market will grow to 320 million units sold in 2015. This is good news for Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad that is expected to remain the market leader and command more than 50% of the tablet market until 2014.
One thing is for sure, the way consumers will think about, and interact with computing devices has changed for good. Online retailers will find that a “one-size-fits-all” approach to mobile-optimized sites will no longer effective. Tablet visitors and smartphone visitors are distinct segments that do not share the same visit objectives or have equal value. Online Retailers will be best served by optimizing distinct shopping experiences that caters to specific devices/platforms.
