Q2 2015: Desktop Conversions Rebound
US Consumer Device Preference Report
Automotive Media, Entertainmentand Publishing
Retail(apparel)
InternetServices
Non-ProfitFinancialServices
Retail(apparel)
20.7
46.7
32.5
28.8 29.128.8 29.1
Movable Ink’s US Consumer Device Preference Report was first released in 2013
and provides deep insight into consumers’ adoption and use of smartphones,
tablets, and desktop computers, and how they engage with email while using
their preferred devices.
This edition of the US Consumer Device Preference Report is based on data
collected in the second quarter of 2015, April to June. This Q2 report shows
that although mobile dominates device preferences when it comes to opening
emails, desktops still play an important part in the overall email experience.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
KEY FINDINGS
• Desktop Conversions Spike Again. In our Q1 report, we noted
that mobile email conversions (phone and tablet) surpassed desktop
conversions for the first time ever. In Q2, we expanded the sample size and
analyzed 267,000 conversions driven by email and discovered that desktop
conversions rebounded. Desktop conversions increased from 37% in Q1 to
52.6% of all conversions in Q2. Smartphone conversions made up 29.3% of
the total and tablet conversions made up the remaining 18.1%
of conversions.
• Mobile Opens Inch Upward. Last quarter, we saw mobile email opens
reach 67% and, in Q2, that number is still inching upwards, with 67.8% of all
emails now opened on mobile devices.
• Tablet Users Spend Less Time in the Inbox. We’ve noticed that iPhone
users have shorter attention spans than Android users, but can you guess
who’s less captive than both? Tablet users. Over 75% of iPad users and
58% of Android tablet users spend an average of 15 seconds or less,
reading an email on their tablet.
EMAIL OPENS BY DEVICE TYPEEMAIL OPENS BY DEVICE TYPE
In our complete analysis of 1.32 billion emails, we found that iPhones
accounted for 41.97% of all opens, compared to 9.72% on Android phones.
It’s obvious that Apple remains the leader in the US tablet market as well,
evidenced by iPads accounting for 14.43% of all email opens (versus 1.26%
on Android tablets).
14.43% iPAD
32.22% DESKTOP
41.97% iPHONE
1.68%OTHER MOBILE
9.72% ANDROID PHONE
3
EMAIL OPENS BY DEVICE
4
This quarter, the rapid growth of mobile email opens we saw in Q1 of 2015 has
slowed down, but we haven’t seen a plateau yet. Mobile email opens, which
include both smartphones and tablets, accounted for 67.78% of all opens.
32.22% DESKTOP
15.73% TABLET
67.78% OF EMAILS THIS QUARTER WERE OPENED ON A MOBILE DEVICE
56.4% APPLE MOBILE DEVICE
10.98% ANDROID MOBILE DEVICE
52.05% SMARTPHONE
EMAIL CONVERSIONS BY DEVICE
52.57% DESKTOP
18.67% IPHONE
5
10.50% ANDROID
3.90% OTHER MOBILE
14.36% IPAD
Earlier this year, we conducted our first-ever analysis of conversions driven
by email that took place on mobile devices and saw that 68.9% ocurred on
mobile devices. This quarter, we expanded the sample and analyzed a total
of 267,000 conversions from email, compared to 57,000 conversions in Q1.
Although it appears that desktops remain the device of choice to make a
purchase, the split is almost equal between mobile and desktop.
When you look at the device preference breakdown for email opens, we
see that mobile wins at almost 70%. Why are conversions from mobile email
not at the same level? We believe it to be an indicator of the click-through
experience. It’s not enough to build mobile-friendly emails. You must have
a mobile-friendly site to complete the experience.
20.7
46.7
32.5
39.5
20.4
40.1
25.0
57.1
17.9
51.0
29.6
19.4
42.0
28.8 29.1
35.6
28.0
36.4
34.2
23.6
42.2
24.6
29.3
46.0
OTHERMOBILE
ANDROID DESKTOPANDROIDTABLET
IPHONE IPADWINDOWSPHONE
KINDLEFIRE
0-3 SECONDS
EMAIL READ LENGTH BY DEVICE*
6
15+ SECONDS3-15 SECONDS
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
*Blackberry devices omitted because statistically insignificant
EMAIL OPENS BY US STATE
Every quarter, we analyze which devices are favored when it comes to
opening emails. As seen in the maps below, the shift towards mobile
continues. Since Q2 2014, there has been a dramatic reversal, and there are
no heavy desktop using states and only 9 leaning desktop states.
DESKTOP SMARTPHONE
Heavy Heavy Leaning Leaning
vs.
“Heavy” means that more than 50% of recipients in the state open email on a smartphone or desktop. “Leaning”
means that fewer than 50% of recipients in the state open email on a smartphone or desktop, but that those devices
are currently the most widely used in the state (e.g., if desktop had the highest percentage of opens when compared to
smartphones and tablets, but not the combination of the two, the state is labeled as “Leaning desktop.”)
Q3 2014
Q4 2014
Q1 2015
Q2 20147
EMAIL OPENS BY TIME OF DAY
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
6am12am 12pm 6pm 12am
SMARTPHONE DESKTOP TABLET
8
EMAIL OPENS BY VERTICAL
49.5% SMARTPHONE
42.4% DESKTOP
Automotive Financial Services
Media, Entertainmentand Publishing
Retail(Apparel)
Retail(Non-Apparel)
Travel andHospitality
Internet Services
Non-Profit
DEVICE PREFERENCE BY VERTICALThe data last quarter showed that some verticals are far less mobile-friendly than others.
But, when we analyzed email opens on tablets and smartphones against desktop opens this
quarter, every single industry is mobile-first, except for Automotive and Non-Profit.
**The results below are from an analysis of 1.32 billion email opens.
SMARTPHONE DESKTOP TABLET
60%
100%
50%
90%
40%
80%
30%
70%
20%
10%
0%
50.6% SMARTPHONE
51.7% SMARTPHONE 49.4%
DESKTOP
62.5% SMARTPHONE
48.1% SMARTPHONE 43.0%
SMARTPHONE
9
ABOUT THE REPORT
METHODOLOGY
Charts are based on data collected through Movable Ink’s contextual marketing
platform between April 1 – June 30, 2015. They reflect aggregate statistics across
Movable Ink’s customer base, which includes more than 250 brands from the
retail, travel, financial, media, and telecommunications industries and account
for 1.32 billion email opens across the country unless otherwise stated. Because
determining email opens requires images to the load, the percentages for some
devices might be over or underrepresented.
CONTACT
For media inquiries, questions, or feedback on this report, please contact our
research team at [email protected].
10
© 2015 Movable Ink
ABOUT MOVABLE INK
ABOUT MOVABLE INKFounded in 2010, Movable Ink pioneered the application of contextual marketing to email. Movable Ink clients can
use any email service provider to deliver dynamic content that changes, in real-time, according to the context of
each individual customer. More than 250 innovative brands including The Wall Street Journal, eBay, Finish Line, and
Saks Fifth Avenue use Movable Ink to Market in the Moment and optimize their email campaigns to drive ROI. The
company is headquartered in New York City with an office in London.
To learn more about Movable Ink, visit movableink.com or reach out to us directly at [email protected] or
1-800-270-6033.
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