Retailers need to wake up to the idea of ‘mobile economic time’ if they are to capture m-commerce customers, a study for CA Technologies has found. Mobile economic time is the name given to times when tablet and smartphone users will be surfing the web, such as when they are commuting or watching TV.

This time is equivalent to 38 days per year. It illustrates how and when consumers engage with brands, and their attitude to online brands and apps that fail to deliver a secure and positive mobile online experience 24/7.

Professor Chanaka Jayawardhena, expert in internet services marketing who worked with CA Technologies on the study, explains: “Mobile economic time is when smartphone and tablet users are most likely to use their devices to interact with online brands and businesses. Anything less than a superior and secure mobile online experience is bad for business. Companies that are serious about retaining existing customers and attracting new ones must wake-up to mobile economic time.”

There has been considerable growth in smartphone and tablet sales. This year 54.8 million tablets are expected to be sold worldwide, up 181 per cent from 2010. This will surpass 208 million units in 2014, according to Gartner, Inc.

Kobi Korsah, product marketing director, CA Technologies, EMEA, says: “To drive revenue, growth, and customer satisfaction, organisations need to assure and manage their mobile presence at a time when many smartphone and tablet users have no limits on their data consumption and appetite for mobile apps. By focusing on the delivery of a positive and secure mobile online customer experience, organisations will enhance their brand loyalty, increase revenues, and generate new market opportunities.”

According to feedback from consumers who were interviewed for this study, the real world mobile user experience falls well short of its promises.

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