The mobile web is growing at an unprecedented rate. According to The Nielsen Company web visitors using a mobile device increased from 42.5 million in July 2008 to 56.9 million in July 2009. Due to the increased adoption, faster networks and more capable mobile devices, businesses recognize substantial value and opportunity from the mobile web. Facebook currently has more than 65 million active mobile users - a staggering increase from just 20 million eight months ago.1 And the impact of the mobile web is not only felt by the media and entertainment industry. People are starting to use their mobile phones for everything from checking their bank balances to buying a $350,000 Lamborghini.2 According to eBay President/CEO John Donahoe eBay's mobile sales volume is growing in the double digits every month with eBay's iPhone application having generated a phenomenal $400 million since its launch in summer 2008.
W H I T E PA P E R
Why the Mobile Web is Disappointing End-Users
A study of consumers' mobile web experiences conducted by
Equation Research on behalf of Gomez, Inc.Executive SummaryThe mobile web is growing at an unprecedented rate. According to The Nielsen Company web visitors using a mobile device increased from 42.5 million in July 2008 to 56.9 million in July 2009. Due to the increased adoption, faster networks and more capable mobile devices, businesses recognize substantial value and opportunity from the mobile web. Facebook currently has more than 65 million active mobile users - a staggering increase 1from just 20 million eight months ago. And the impact of the mobile web is not only felt by the media and entertainment industry. People are starting to use their mobile phones for 2everything from checking their bank balances to buying a $350,000 Lamborghini. According to eBay President/CEO John Donahoe eBay's mobile sales volume is growing in the double digits every month with eBay's iPhone application having generated a phenomenal $400 3million since its launch in summer 2008. One thing is clear - the mobile web has crossed the chasm - to the benefit of organizations everywhere. Yet what are mobile users' expectations and how do they characterize the current mobile web experience?To find out, Gomez, Inc. commissioned Equation Research to conduct a study of consumers' mobile Internet usage and perceptions. Interviews of 1001 mobile web users were conducted between September 16 - 21, 2009.
Key FindingsMobile users have high expectations for mobile Web performance. Survey respondents overwhelmingly stated that if performance were better, they would access the mobile Web far more often. Ultimately, the majority stated they expect Websites to load as quickly, almost as quickly, or faster on their mobile phone, compared to their home or work computer. The survey revealed how unsatisfactory mobile Web experiences can negatively shape a consumer's opinion of an organization. It also discovered that mobile Web users do not have much patience for retrying a website that is slow or not functioning. In the survey:. Two out of three have encountered problems when accessing websites on their mobile phones in the last 12 months - with slow load time the number one issue. More than half are unlikely to return to a Website that they had trouble accessing from their phone, and . 40 percent said they'd likely visit a competitor's mobile website instead.
1 http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=1298750171302 http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/commerce/4248.html3 http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/commerce/4248.html W H I T E PA P E R - W H Y T H E M O B I L E W E B I S D I S A P P O I N T I N G E N D - U S E R S 2Mobile Users' Expectations Are HighMobile Internet users expect a web-browsing experience on their phone that's comparable to what they get on a home computerThe majority of mobile phone users expect websites to load as quickly, almost as quickly or faster on their mobile phone, compared to the computer they use at home. And those aged 35 - 44 are most likely to expect sites to load just as quickly or faster on their mobile phones.
Fig 1 - Web page load expectation - mobile vs. Home/laptop computer
Speed is crucial when accessing a website from a mobile phoneUltimately, the majority stated they expect websites to load as quickly, almost as quickly or faster on their mobile phone, compared to their home or work computer. But in the meantime, half of mobile web users are willing to wait only 6-10 seconds or less for a web page to load on their phone before giving up, and only one in five is willing to wait more than 20 seconds.Fig 2 - Amount of time willing to wait for a website to load on a mobile phone
W H I T E PA P E R - W H Y T H E M O B I L E W E B I S D I S A P P O I N T I N G E N D - U S E R S 3If mobile Internet users can't complete a simple transaction quickly, they'll aban-don the transactionAlmost three quarters of mobile web users expect to complete a simple transaction, like checking their bank balance in a minute or less, before giving up and exiting the site. Users over 45 years old are significantly more likely than their younger counterparts to only be willing to wait 30 seconds or less to complete a transaction.
Fig 3 - Amount of time willing to wait to complete a simple transa... [download for more]
