Merchants have questioned the viability of mobile platforms compared to traditional point-of-sale payment platforms, such as brick-and-mortar and ecommerce. However, a new study from Shopatron suggests tablets are achieving similar conversion rates of traditional desktop computers, further highlighting the importance of incorporating these devices into a merchant's overall retail strategy.

According to the report, the overall conversion rates of tablets are only between 5 and 8 percent lower, with Shopatron clients noting approximately 6 percent of their total sales coming from tablets. As more consumers purchase these devices, the number of people shopping from them is sure to increase as well.

"It’s no surprise that conversion rates on tablets are nearing or outpacing the conversion rates of desktops," says Mark Grondin, Shopatron’s senior vice president of marketing, as quoted by Internet Retailer. "Browsing on a tablet is intuitive and user friendly, providing portability without sacrificing interface quality or functionality."

The face of ecommerce is constantly changing, and retailers will need to adapt if they want to capitalize on new opportunities. Merchants can learn more about the tools they need to streamline their ecommerce operations at the upcoming 2012 Retail Pro Global Conference.