Mobile web users, both in UK and the world over, are still unhappy with the performance of mobile websites

Mobile web users, both in UK and the world over, are still unhappy with the performance of mobile websites

Compuware has published the findings of a new survey that shows a significant portion of mobile consumers’ expectations are not being met as the result of poor mobile and application performance.

The independent survey of more than 4,000 global users worldwide, including 500 from the UK, 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.

Speed levels lag behind expectations

Key global and UK survey findings included the fact that mobile users’ expectations for mobile website speed continue to increase. Over two thirds (71%) of global mobile web users and 56 % of UK mobile web users expected websites to load as quickly, almost as quickly or faster on their mobile phone compared to the computer they used at home.

Nearly 60% of global web users said they expected a website to load on their mobile phone in 3 seconds or less (UK 49%) and 74% (UK 70%) are willing to wait 5 seconds or less for a single web page to load before leaving the site. Half of web users, and 40% of those surveyed in the UK, were only willing to wait 5 seconds or less for an application to load before exiting.

Over half (54%) of UK web users had a problem when accessing a website in the past year and nearly 40% had a problem accessing an app from their phone, with 37% of respondents experiencing apps that crashed or froze, which was higher the global average of 25%. More than 78% of UK mobile web users would access websites more often from their phone if the experience were as fast and reliable as their home or work PC or laptop.

Convenience of mobile increases impatience

The research also revealed that mobile users did not have much patience for retrying a website or application that was not functioning straight away – a third would go to a competitor’s site instead, rising to 29% in the UK. A further 78% of mobile web users, or 79% in the UK, were only willing to retry a website two times or less if it did not work initially. While 80% of global users and 81% in the UK would only retry an app twice or less if it failed the first time.

A bad experience on a mobile website also left mobile users much less likely to return to, or recommend a particular website. Nearly half of mobile web users said they were unlikely to return to a website that they had trouble accessing from their phone and 57% were unlikely to recommend the site.

“User expectations for mobile continues to increase, but companies in the UK are not meeting mobile users’ need for fast and reliable experiences. As a result, many companies are failing to take advantage of the opportunities being provided by increased mobile access,” said David Flower, regional vice president of Compuware’s application performance management division.