Survey: Gap exists between mobile device browsing, purchasing
Mobile commerce has yet to reach its full potential, with most consumers choosing to browse, but not purchase, on their device.
That’s according to new data from Quantum Metric, which found that 75% browse on a mobile device at least two times a day, but just 26% buy items daily. This comes as Americans are spending more time on their phones compared to last year, with online traffic up 6% on average since January.
When it comes to making online purchases, consumers feel more comfortable using their desktop or laptop computer. Nearly seven-in-10 (69%) consumers research high-value items on mobile, but buy on desktop. Only 59% feel confident making a purchase for $50 or less on mobile, while a mere 17% feel confident with purchases over $250.
For retail, desktop average order values are 70% higher than mobile. Quantum Metric also noted that error rates overall are two- to three-times more common on mobile than a computer, leading consumers to abandon mobile purchases.
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Branded apps are consumers’ preferred option when it comes to online shopping, with 39% preferring to use them Mobile browsers are not far behind at 37%, with the remainder turning to social media for their purchases (13%).
However, despite the preference for shopping on mobile apps, consumers are selective about which ones they choose. A third (33%) of those surveyed have reduced the number of apps on their devices, and 22% have disabled app notifications in the past 12 months.
When shopping on mobile devices, consumers want their experiences to be quick. Most users expect mobile transactions to take three to five minutes. Any longer and 55% would abandon their purchase. According to the survey, the biggest demands from consumers when it comes to mobile shopping are better security (39%), more reliable payments (35%) and improved app stability (36%).
