Mobile web disappoints global consumers

DETROIT, USA: Compuware Corp. published the findings of a new survey that shows global consumers' expectations for mobile and application performance are not being met.

Today's mobile users demand exceptional web experiences and highly satisfying, convenient, on-the-go mobile site speeds regardless of their mode of access. The independent survey of more than 4,000 global users worldwide was conducted to understand consumers' mobile web and application expectations and experiences.

The new survey titled "What Users Want from Mobile," reveals that global mobile users' expectations are not being met, with a majority of users experiencing slow or unreliable mobile and application performance. As the survey findings illustrate, although mobile users expect quick, anytime transactions that work flawlessly every time, that's not what they're getting.

Key survey findings include:

* Mobile users' expectations for mobile website speed continue to increase. 71 percent of global mobile web users expect websites to load as quickly, almost as quickly or faster on their mobile phone compared to the computer they use at home – up from 58 percent in 2009. However, almost half (46 percent) said websites load more slowly on their phone.

* Nearly 60 percent of web users say they expect a website to load on their mobile phone in three seconds or less, and 74 percent are only willing to wait five seconds or less for a single web page to load before leaving the site. 50 percent are only willing to wait five seconds or less for an application to load before exiting.

* 57 percent of global mobile web users had a problem accessing a website in the past year, and 47 percent had a problem accessing an app on their phone. More than 80 percent of mobile web users would access websites more often from their phone if the experience was as fast and reliable.

* Mobile users do not have much patience for retrying a website or application that is not functioning initially -- a third will go to a competitor's site instead. The majority of mobile web users are only willing to retry a website (78 percent) or application (80 percent) two times or less if it does not work initially.

* A bad experience on a mobile website leaves mobile web users much less likely to return to, or recommend, a particular website. Nearly half of mobile web users are unlikely to return to a website that they had trouble accessing from their phone, and 57 percent are unlikely to recommend the site.

"We conducted this study as a follow on to our 2009 study that showed mobile users had high expectations, but the majority experienced poor mobile performance. Almost two years later, user expectations for mobile continue to increase, but companies are still not meeting mobile users' needs for fast and reliable experiences," said Steve Tack, CTO of Compuware APM.

"Today, 77 percent of top companies across multiple verticals have mobile page load times of five seconds or more, while mobile users are only willing to wait five seconds or less for a web page to load before leaving the site. Poor performance is preventing many companies from taking advantage of the opportunities being provided by increased mobile access."