41 per cent of web traffic across Europe came from smartphones in 2016, up from 32 per cent a year earlier.

That’s according to an Adobe Digital Insights report, based on the top quintile of companies using Adobe’s Experience Cloud, supported with a survey of 5,000 European consumers.

In terms of countries, the UK led the way, with smartphones accounting for 50 per cent of traffic. When it came to verticals, the most mobile were financial services (53 per cent of traffic)  and media and entertainment (52 per cent).

The survey found that 64 per cent of Europeans say the mobile browsing experience is worse than on desktop.

In spite of these issues, 57 per cent identified the smartphone as their preferred device for completing tasks.

One area that made particularly big strides on mobile in 2016 was online shopping – 45 per cent said they considered it a mobile-first activity, compared to 37 per cent a year earlier.

“From checking their bank balances to their inboxes, smartphones are now the go-to device,” said David Burnand, enterprise marketing director for Adobe EMEA. “Brands should look to the financial services and retail industries, where the balance has been tipped, and embody their investment in building engaging, compelling mobile experiences.”