ShopNBC upgraded its mobile site last fall to leverage HTML5 technology enabling it to stream live video programming on mobile devices and, as a result, has seen an increase in mobile traffic and page views.

As consumers increasingly turn to their smartphones and tablets to browse, shop and buy, retailers with a mobile presence are turning to the latest HTML5 technology to offer an engaging mobile Web experience that is easy to use. Usablenet, which provided the HTML5 technology used by ShopNBC, reports that, on average, brands experience a 28 percent increase in overall usage when upgrading their sites with HTML5 features.

“The initial customer experience enhancement with the implementation of HTML5 was our ability to integrate live streaming of our programming on mobile devices,” said Tom Kraus, vice president of commerce and content for ShopNBC.com, New York. “This functionality provided customers a seamless experience to what we provide them on our ShopNBC.com site, as well as continue to provide our customers with a true shop anytime, anywhere experience.

“We have seen great acceptance of the HTML5 mobile streaming and have experienced a 7 percent increase in page views per visitor and an impressive 77 percent increase in mobile traffic,” he said. “With live streaming now available on their mobile devices, customers are taking advantage of having not only ShopNBC’s great product, but also the ability to watch live programming wherever they go.”

On-the-go shoppers
Mobile Internet use continues to grow at a rapid rate, pointing to the need for retailers to have compelling mobile Web experience.

The mobile Web enhancement put into place by ShopNBC enables consumers to watch live, broadcast video from the shopping network on Android and iPhone devices.

Offering live streaming on the mobile site makes it easier for customers to interact and engage with the brand whenever and wherever they choose. This is important for busy on-the-go customers who want to be able to shop when they have some downtime.

ShopNBC used marketing via TV, Internet and social platforms to raise awareness of the live streaming video enhancement.

Usablenet reports that, on average, brands experience a 11 percent increase in page views and a 15 percent decrease in bounce rates when upgrading their sites with HTML5 features.

“Around 30 percent of our retail clients have adopted HTML5 mobile sites and we expect to see continued increases in the amount of retailers upgrading to HTML5 this year and beyond, as they better understand the value that these enhanced features provide to the customer,” said Jason Taylor, vice president of innovation and platform strategy at Usablenet, New York.

“When upgrading to HTML5, retailers and other brands must understand that while most new mobile browsers support HTML5, some older browsers still don’t,” he said. “Therefore, when building a mobile site, it is very important to make sure that you support HTML5 functionality for the newer browsers, but also have the same core functionality without the new HTML5 enabled UI/UX, for older browsers.”

More to come
Usablnet’s Mobile 2.0 HTML5 platform is used by Expedia, ASOS and other brands.

Enhanced features possible on the HTML5 platform include shopping baskets with notifications that slide down once an item is added to the cart, displaying the addition to the cart as well as the updated cost. Shoppers can choose to check-out, or the window will disappear after a few seconds, letting users continue shopping without disruption.

Other enhanced features available on the HTML5 platform include high-resolution image galleries, location-aware features and scrolling promotions.

“We launched our HTML5 mobile site the beginning of October 2011,” ShopNBC’s Mr. Kraus said. “The move to HTML5 for us was really a foundational move to set us up for future enhancements and to position ShopNBC’s mobile site for the next generation.

“We are looking to mid-second quarter for additional enhancements to our mobile site that will capitalize more on HTML5’s functionality,” he said.