Study: Social media, search take different paths in satisfaction

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Social media and search engines are two of the most popular online destinations, but are heading in different directions when it comes to customer satisfaction. According to new data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), social media’s index score climbed 4% to a score of 74 on a 100-point scale.



In 2014, social media ranked among the worst industries in the Index. Facebook registers the most improvement in the social media category, soaring 12% to an ACSI score of 75, ahead of the industry average. Leading the industry for a second year in a row, social bookmarking site Pinterest continues to improve with a 3% increase to an ACSI score of 78. In second place, Wikipedia rebounds 4% to an ACSI score of 77.



Instagram makes its first appearance in the Index with an ACSI score of 76. The mobile photo-sharing, video-sharing, and social networking site leads the category for ease of use on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Meanwhile, YouTube leaps 4% to 76, and viewing time is up 60%.



Google+ is up 6% to 75, but users are no longer more satisfied with Google's social networking site than they are with Facebook. Meanwhile, Twitter reaches its highest ACSI score to date, rising 3% to 71. In the opposite direction, the average of "all other" social media sites, including Reddit and Snapchat, drops 3 percent to 71. Near the bottom of the category, microblogging platform Tumblr posts its first ACSI score at 69. LinkedIn remains at the bottom despite a 1% uptick to 68.



"Today's consumers practically live on their smartphones, and mobile compatibility is increasingly important to customer satisfaction," said Claes Fornell, ACSI Chairman and founder. "Social media has made strides in improving the mobile experience, particularly through mobile apps that can be optimized by operating system to ensure better compatibility with various screen sizes."



ACSI data also suggests that social media users are more satisfied with privacy protection – or at least less concerned – than they were a year ago. Also, users seem more accepting of advertising year-over-year and relative to other e-business websites.



Meanwhile, customer satisfaction with search engines and information websites is down 5% to 76. The decrease is due in large part to a drop for the company that defines the category. Google remains the undisputed leader despite receding 6% to 78, and its market share, at 64%, is still more than double its nearest competitor.



Mobile searches now exceed those from desktop, but the rise of the mobile platform has proved slightly more difficult for search engines than for social media or news and opinion websites.



"Most website content was created for the desktop browser first, but as consumers continue to shift more of their Internet activity to mobile devices, companies need to optimize for different screen sizes, mobile browsers and operating systems," said ACSI director David VanAmburg. "While social media and news and opinion websites are usually available through an app, there is no guarantee that the websites listed in mobile search results will be compatible with mobile devices."