Google Australia has released trend data which indicates 2012 is set to become the nation's biggest online Christmas trading season to date.
The study, which aims to forecast 2012 Christmas retail trends, reported an overall 20 per cent increase in shopping-related searches year over year, with Christmas shoppers taking to the web to research gift ideas, place orders, shop online and seek out retail outlets and shops.
While retail posted impressive gains over last year’s season, the research also confirmed that nearly 40 per cent of shopping searches are now coming from smartphones and tablets,
Overall, the number of queries coming from mobile devices including tablets has more than doubled over the past 12 months, and Google Australia industry leader for local & retail Ross McDonald has urged retailers to adapt and “be found on all screens and via all devices” to ensure a successful Christmas trading period.
“As consumers branch out from smartphones into new types of devices like tablets, the mobile revolution is expanding to multiple screens. That means the real moral of this year’s Christmas story is that retailers need to mobilise, and fast,” he said.
“It is no longer enough for businesses to get online--they need to be found wherever the web is, on every screen, or risk losing out.”
Google also estimated that among large advertisers, only one in three has a mobile friendly website – with the number even lower for small to medium businesses, leaving would-be mobile shoppers feeling frustrated and ignored.
According to research conducted by Google, two in three customers also said mobile friendly sites make them more likely to buy or use a good or service – while half responded that a bad mobile experience makes them less likely to engage with a company.
In addition, it has been discovered that consumers often move between screens as they research their purchases. While they may begin by looking for a gift or store location on mobile, they can then go on to make their final purchases in a physical store or on desktop.
Google said this indicates that poor mobile websites can affect brick-and-mortar sales as well as traffic to desktop sites.
However, according to the study, it’s not too late for a multi-screen Christmas miracle. While consumers begin researching purchases as early as October, historical Google data predicts that retail searches will rapidly accelerate through November, and will continue until Christmas Eve Day.
In the case of mobile, shopping searches via the device peak the week before Christmas as consumers use their smartphones to seek out retail outlets selling last minute gifts.
“We’ve always said that Christmas is a marathon that ends in a sprint,” said McDonald. “Businesses should build a multi-screen web presence that helps them through the race and over the finish line in top form.”