22 per cent of clicks at the Rakuten LinkShare CPA network – and 17 per cent of transactions – came from mobile devices during Q1, 2013.

During the quarter, Rakuten’s data also showed that the speed at which tablet users go directly to make a purchase order is eighteen per cent higher than for PC users.

“While browsing on smartphones is now commonplace, it’s some of the best user experience on tablets, reminiscent of the bigger screen size, that encourages consumers to make a purchase order,” Rakuten LinkShare MD Mark Haviland. “Our data reveals that, as retailers optimise their sites for tablets, they’ve a good chance to extend sales during the affiliate channel by working closely with their CPA network to verify they’re actively targeting tablet users with the best content and responsive design to deliver a smooth buying experience.”

In Q1, the Rakuten LinkShare network overall saw a year-on-year growth of 29 per cent in same store sales inside the UK, and 26 per cent within the US.