A new study from mobile solutions provider Netbiscuits is shedding light on consumer's expectations of the mobile Web, which includes both mobile-optimized and fast loading websites.
The People's Web Report contains insights from 5,000 customers in ten different markets, including the USA, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Brazil, India, UAE, South Africa and China. The report found that more than 25 percent of respondents spend more than 6 hours per day on the mobile Web. And with all of that time spent browsing the Web on mobile devices, it is no surprise that consumer's expectations are rising.
For example, the report found that one of the biggest expectations consumers have of the mobile Web is speed, as it was labeled the most important factor for 8 out of 10 global markets (Australia and the UK were the exceptions). In fact, 61 percent of respondents claim that faster download times would increase their satisfaction, while 33 percent desire the same functionality of mobile websites as they do of PC websites.
That said, consumers also expect sites to be optimized for mobile devices when they access them from a mobile browser. The report shows than more than 76 percent of respondents would not engage with a website that was not optimized for mobile, and out of those, 32 percent would not return to that website at all and would instead prefer to either give up or visit a competitor's site.
In addition, the study provides consumer insights on mobile apps. The report found that only 27 percent of respondents would download an app when prompted to do so online, despite 75 percent being exposed to the app prompts. Plus, 79 percent of respondents said they would prefer to have the option of using a mobile website when searching for information on the mobile Web, while 18 percent were satisfied just using native apps.
"The mobile web is one of the biggest disruptive forces we have ever seen," commented Daniel Weisbeck, CMO Netbiscuits. "The phenomenal uptake of its usage, alongside rumored customer dissatisfaction with their quality of experience has been the main motivation to undertake this research. The People's Web Report attempts to quantify consumer perceptions and determine global parallels between them. The resemblances in attitudes between these ten very different markets are remarkable, and we see a clear basis for brands to take proactive action to improve their mobile web offering. With speed being the number one factor worldwide in determining customer satisfaction, and independent research suggesting every lost second costs a 7 percent decrease in conversions, we hope that brands will take steps to ensure their consumers receive the best possible experience they can offer."