Mobile Devices Generated 31% of Paid Search Clicks at Christmas

According to the new survey from digital marketing technology expert Kenshoo, tablets and mobile devices played a crucial role in Christmas shopping last year, accounting for 31% of the paid search clicks and contributing 24% to retailers’ combined revenues.

The Kenshoo 2012 Global Online Retail Holiday Shopping Report revealed that computers remained the most popular device among consumers who went online to purchase products, accounting for 75% of retailers’ revenues and representing 68.9% of paid clicks. Consumers using their computers for shopping made average orders of £73.78, which is lower than the average order value of £88.48 registered among tablet owners. Some 18% of the paid search clicks came from tablets, generating 21.3% of retailers’ sales. About 13% of all clicks on retail websites were made through mobile phones during the festive season, bringing about 3.4% of revenues.

When looking at the different mobile phone operating systems, Kenshoo also established that Apple’s iOS (iPhone) was the best performer in terms of paid search clicks, making up 62.4% of the total. Second came Android with 34.55% of all clicks, while clicks through Blackberry devices represented just 2.18%.

In terms of paid search ads through tablets, iOS (iPad) made the headlines with a staggering 98.3%. Blackberry and Android accounted for 1.07% and 0.62% of the clicks, respectively.

Using data from impressions and clicks on search engines including Google, Yahoo! and Bing among others, Kenshoo also found that UK retailers allocated 27% more for search marketing through such engines this Christmas compared with 2011. Search ads on Boxing Day, in particular, contributed to a 34% surge in retailers’ online revenues and for a 43% jump in conversion rates.