New research from Adobe has found that despite browser traffic continuing to move towards smartphones, consumers from Australia and New Zealand significantly prefer making purchases via desktop.
The Adobe Digital Insights Asia-Pacific Best of the Best report, which aggregated anonymous data from approximately 100 billion visits to 3,000-plus websites across the region during the 2016 calendar year, has found that while ANZ consumers are among those leading the shift from desktops (52.5 per cent share of browser traffic) to smartphones (37.7 per cent share of browser traffic), desktop conversion rates (2.9 per cent) were three times that of smartphones (0.8 per cent).
Comparing data from Australia and New Zealand, Southeast Asia, India, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and the US, the report found that the ‘Best of the Best’ (or top 20 per cent of websites in ANZ), are widening the gap with average websites, seeing a 5.8 per cent desktop conversion rate, compared with the average of 2.9 per cent.
Along with Japan (5.8 per cent), ANZ’s ‘Best of the Best’ are achieving higher desktop rates than the United States (5.4 per cent).
Other key findings in the Best of the Best report include:
- ANZ sees the highest visit rates for the region across both desktops (1.77 visits per month) and smartphones (1.61 visits per month).
- ANZ is only region to see an increase in time spent across average and ‘Best of the Best’ websites (6.28 and 9.01 minutes respectively), with tech and retail the only two ANZ industries to show a decrease.
- ANZ and India were the only countries to see visit rates increase across both smartphone and desktop.
- ANZ’s ‘Best of the Best’ websites lead the region in website stickiness (percentage of visits that last for more than one page).
Becky Tasker, senior manager at Adobe Digital Insights, said: “We are seeing that while browsing activity is shifting towards smartphones, consumers in Australia and New Zealand still prefer to make their final purchase via desktop.
“Smartphone traffic and conversion rates are rising, but ANZ’s best marketers recognise that the desktop is still likely to be the final destination, even in a cohesive multi-device experience.”
