The problems with carrying out safe shopping online from a smartphone or tablet have been highlighted in the latest study from Connexity, revealing that many retailers have yet to truly optimise the experience for people using portable devices.

The biggest issue pinpointed in the report was the fact that many sites have poorly designed interfaces with interactive elements that are too small to use without first zooming in on them. A third of respondents said that this was their main concern when visiting an m-commerce site.

A quarter said that sluggish page load speeds were the thing which most often prevented them from enjoying the mobile shopping experience. And while there are certainly arguments to be made for poor network coverage or overburdened Wi-Fi hotspots being the culprit here, there are still things that retailers can do to streamline their sites.

Twenty one per cent said that they got frustrated by sites which forced them to go to the desktop version when seeking out particular items or functionalities. Seventeen per cent said that tiny text got on their nerves, with the same proportion complaining about the convoluted nature of many mobile checkout services.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, just 11 per cent of consumers questioned said that they were worried about the security of their personal data when using a mobile to access safe shopping online.

Experts regularly highlight the risks that are involved with m-commerce, particularly when connected to public Wi-Fi networks. And it is generally advised that consumers should never carry out transactions over this type of connection because of the risks of suffering from fraud and data theft.

Using a trusted Wi-Fi network which is protected by a password is more secure, but avoiding public Wi-Fi when shopping for items online is recommended by those in the know.