Apps Preferred to Mobile Websites, Yet Low Tolerance for App Failures

Mobile

Spring 2013  -- Compuware, an IT application performance company, commissioned Equation Research to conduct an global study to better understand consumers’ expectations and experiences of mobile applications.
 
The survey sample equals 3,534 total respondents (1,002 in the U.S., 509 in the U.K., 509 in France, 508 in Germany, 502 in India and 504 in Japan) who are smartphone/tablet users that used a mobile app in the past six months.
 

Key Findings

• 85% of respondents preferred mobile apps to mobile websites. Top reasons:
  • Apps are perceived as more convenient – 55%
  • Apps seen as faster  - 48%
  • Easier to navigate with – 40%
  • Only 28% say mobile apps offer a better user experience.

• When consumers were asked if they had encountered a problem with a mobile app within the last six months, 56% said yes. Problems experienced:
  • Crash, freeze or error - 62%
  • Slow launch times. – 47%
  • App would not launch – 40%

• Eight of 10 app users (79%) say they will retry a mobile app once or twice, if it failed to work the first time, then they will abandon it.

• If dissatisfied with the performance of a mobile app, 48% of respondents are less likely to use the app again, while 34% will switch to a competitor’s app.
  
   

Source: Compuware, 2013

• The majority of respondents (78%) expect mobile apps to load as fast as — or faster than — a mobile website.

• Mobile app users value app store ratings -- 84% say app store ratings are important in their decisions to download a mobile app.

About: Interviews were conducted by Equation Research, on behalf of Compuware, October 19-25, 2012. Survey results may have a margin of error of +/-1.6 percent at a 95 percent level of confidence.

The survey sample equals 3,534 total respondents (1,002 in the U.S., 509 in the U.K., 509 in France, 508 in Germany, 502 in India and 504 in Japan) who are smartphone/ tablet users that used a mobile application in the past six months that required an Internet connection. 60% men/40% women.  4% age< 21, 35% ages 21 – 34, 45% ages 35 – 54, 16% ages 55+.

Source: Compuware, Mobile Apps: What Consumers Really Need and Want, accessed May 20, 2013.