Abstract

Mobile devices are gaining popularity among online shoppers whose behavior has been reshaped by the changes in screen size, interface, functionality, and context of use. This study, based on a log file from a cross-border E-commerce platform, conducted a clickstream data analysis to compare desktop and mobile users’ visiting behavior. The original 2,827,449 clickstream records generated over a 4-day period were cleaned and analyzed according to an established analysis framework at the footprint level. Differences are found between desktop and mobile users in the distribution of footprints, core footprints, and footprint depth. As the results show, online shoppers preferred to explore various products on mobile devices and read product details on desktops. The E-commerce mobile application (app) presented higher interactivity than the desktop and mobile websites, thus increasing both user involvement and product visibility. It enabled users to engage in the intended activities more effectively on the corresponding pages. Mobile users were further divided into iOS and Android users whose visiting behaviors were basically similar to each other, though the latter might experience slower response speed.

Keywords: desktop users;mobile users;visiting behavior;clickstream data analysis;online shopping