Speed the biggest challenge for APAC mobile consumers

Slow mobile websites are the biggest problem for brands across Asia-Pacific when it comes to consumer engagment and conversion, according to a new study from Google APAC.

Produced by marketing intelligence platform Think With Google and Accenture Interactive, the 'Masters of Mobile' report assessed 720 mobiles sites from 15 APAC countries across three sectors: financial services, retail and commerce, and travel. 

The report concluded that across five key pillars for high-performing mobile sites—findability, product pages, registration and conversion, mobile design and speed—APAC countries are exceeding consumer expectations in just two. 

By far the worst performing pillar is speed. According to Google, recommended mobile site loading times should be three seconds or less. No APAC country meets this standard, with China the closest at 5.4 seconds, and Japan lagging far behind at 10.3 seconds.

The cost to brands is potentially huge, as Google said brands experience a 20% drop in conversions for every second of delay in mobile page load time. 

As well as the challenges, Google offered tips as to how brands can improve their mobile page speed. 

The report also listed the best performing mobile brands in each APAC country.