Foresee: Mobile e-commerce user satisfaction is almost on par with traditional Internet

With the emergence of mobile e-commerce, consumer satisfaction is increasing year by year, and the user satisfaction of mobile e-commerce is almost on par with the user experience of traditional Internet.

The conclusion was reached by Foresee based on a survey of user satisfaction ratings of the UK's 40 largest mobile retail websites and apps since 2010.

The survey found that British consumers' satisfaction with traditional websites was 74 points out of 100, and their satisfaction with mobile shopping was 72 points.

In three years, the difference between the two channels has steadily dropped from 5 points to 2 points.

The survey also identified the potential for improvement on the part of both merchants and consumers. In order to have a better user experience and satisfaction, either consumers should focus on using mobile e-commerce or retailers should adjust and improve the user experience.

The perfect thing is a combination of the two, but the end result is that without a specific type of mobile e-commerce platform, businesses are likely to continue to lose a portion of potential real buyers and customers who can give advice.

However, the study also highlighted the fact that the majority of consumers’ online shopping is done using a desktop computer, with 87% using their home computer to shop online, compared to just one in five (12%) using a smartphone or 9% using a tablet.

In the Foresee survey, consumers were also asked what they do with their mobile phones when shopping in physical stores. 40% of the respondents admitted to showrooming (seeing the product in the store first and then searching online to make a purchase). And 74% of consumers use their mobile phones to visit the store's official website.

In contrast, only 34% of consumers said they would visit a competitor's website. This has sparked a heated debate among the public, with some suggesting that businesses should provide free Wi-Fi to consumers in their stores to make it easier for them to access the Internet.

Foresee’s findings on showrooming are broadly in line with previous research into online shopping at Christmas 2012, which showed one in five (21%) UK consumers saying they use their mobile phone when shopping in-store.

Although it is lower than 40% in Foresee's data, it should be noted that our survey should be open to all consumers, so it should also include those who do not have smartphones. However, Foresee's survey only targets smartphone users.

Finally, this data also highlights the fact that mobile platforms are primarily used for searches rather than actual product purchases.

51% of users use mobile platforms mainly to seek product price information, followed by 32% for product comparison and product specifications. In contrast, only 14% of users actually purchase products through mobile websites and apps.

199it Compiled by: Aimee