FTSE 100 companies still failing to take advantage of the mobile technology

Rating: mPowa and Incentivated think they may have the answers

Google has recently suggested that 50 per cent of all internet searches will be undertaken via mobile devices in 2013. Yet most major company web sites fail to support mobile technology. A recent survey carried out by Incentivated show that 69 per cent of FTSE 100 companies have failed to take any steps to ensure that their websites are compatible with mobile devices. Consequently there are simple problems relating to font size and difficult navigation which would be quite simple to fix. “Given that substantial revenues are generated through digital channels, it really is bewildering that so many blue chip companies are stuck in the Dark Ages when it comes to how they interact with their customers,” observed Dan Wagner, CEO with mPowa.  He claims that retailers who fail to capture sales whenever and wherever the consumer is ready to buy, will suffer severely in the fiercely competitive landscape in the UK.

Gone are the days when a retailer’s customer base walked through the front door of its shop. Consumer buying behaviour is changing rapidly as a result of advances in technology, ” Wagner said.

He continued, “Whilst consumers may still wish to browse in a shop on the high street, purchasing on mobile devices such as mobile phones and tablets, is gathering pace, and is revolutionising the way consumers purchase goods.”

Speaking to the Financial Times here, Jonathan Bass, md with Incentivated, commented, “FTSE 100 companies are not mobile-ready and are wasting millions of pounds on internet advertising by sending visitors to websites that do not work as users expect them to.”

mPowa’s Wagner, added, “This Xmas, we saw purchases through mobile devices increase exponentially. Those who didn’t address their online retail strategy became casualties.”

“Sadly, what the Incentivated study shows is that many FTSE 100 companies could go the same way, ” Wagner said.