Only 20pc of companies have a defined mobile strategy: report

Many marketers still lack a mobile strategy, and while they are investing in mobile, without a clear focus those dollars may end up in the wrong place, according to a new report from Adobe and eConsultancy shared exclusively with Mobile Marketer, Luxury Daily's sister publication.

With 62 percent of marketers worldwide expecting that more than 50 percent of their traffic will come from mobile in the next 12 months, it is clear that having a mobile strategy is imperative. However, only 20 percent of companies and 11 percent of agencies have a defined mobile strategy that goes out at least 12 months.

“The surprise is still the maturity challenge, where if only 20 percent have a strategy, that indicates there is a major problem in the organization, really with the management team,” said Ray Pun, head of product marketing for mobile at Adobe Marketing Cloud.

“Experience is becoming a key strategy,” he said. “If your digital experience is lacking, especially on mobile, how can you expect to grow your business?

“I feel like there is a pain point out there that people are not willing to really say, we have to take this seriously but the data is very clear.”

The report is based on a survey of 4,166 marketers around the world.

The report shows that mobile continues to dominate consumers’ lives but brands are struggling to reach maturity.

Key findings include that 23 percent of brands and 19 percent of agencies still do not have a mobile strategy in place, 25 percent of brands and 27 percent of agencies are currently working on a mobile strategy, and 32 percent of brands and 43 percent of agencies have a strategy that is not well defined.

Brands are continuing to invest in mobile, with 60 percent of respondents planning to increase their mobile investments in the next year, down from 62 percent a year ago. Another 38 percent plan to keep their investment level the same, up from 35 percent.

The main barriers named by respondents for effectively optimizing their mobile app presence include a lack of resources and a lack of understanding within the organization.

The findings underscore mobile’s growing importance to marketers, with 37 percent of total digital traffic now coming from mobile, up from 31 percent a year ago. Additionally, 28 percent of respondents now say that more than half of their digital traffic comes from mobile, up from 18 percent of respondents last year.

Looking ahead, 62 percent agree that more than half of their traffic will come from mobile in the next 12 months.

On average, 28 percent of commerce revenues now come from mobile, up from 21 percent in 2015. Transactions on mobile still lag traffic, pointing to friction points such as the need for simpler and personalized experiences. A year ago, 47 percent expected mobile traffic to reach the 50 percent mark or higher.

“From an investment perspective, we see that in 2016, folks are continuing to increase their investments,” Mr. Pun said. “Folks see that the execution process is a challenge and without a strategy, the investment may not be going into the right place.

“Most are still shifting from a desktop-centric to mobile,” he said. “Some have put mobile at the center. For others, it is just a spoke.

“These are things that require time and money.”