Brand loyalty on mobile devices

Consumers browsing on their mobile phones are leaving old loyalties behind when they shop online as part of an ‘I want it now’ mentality, according to new research.

A report by Populus for Netbiscuits found that 91% of consumers would turn to a rival if a brand’s mobile site did not give them what they wanted.

The poll of more than 6,000 consumers across the UK, the United States, Brazil, China, Germany and India has found that brands are still failing their customers via mobile channels, with more than 96% of consumers claiming they had abandoned a mobile website because of a poor experience.

Consumers are becoming increasingly frustrated with the mobile experience according to the research:

96% say mobile sites are too slow
95% say it is too difficult to enter information
95% say they can’t find that they are looking for on mobile websites

Overall, American firms are delivering the best experiences to mobile shoppers. Even so, 92% of mobile web users have at some stage not been able to complete what they wanted to on their mobile device.

The report concludes that brand loyalty on mobiles is “dead”, and that the mobile web has become a “tightrope” for brands to walk as shoppers show they are prepared to exchange privacy for a better experience, but at the same time want businesses not to be “creepy”. Get it wrong, says the report, and consumers will simply walk away.

Consumers have conflicting views on privacy and permission. While 79% of users said they would be happy to share personal data, such as location, if it boosted their online experience; 91% said they had deleted an app that they believed had become intrusive.

Daniel Weisbeck, CEO of Netbiscuits, said: “Mobile is evolving at an unprecedented speed and this report is about getting to grips with the people whose behaviours and attitudes will ultimately influence the shape of tomorrow’s mobile web and a brand’s future. Marketers are walking a tightrope – trying to get the balance right between convenience and privacy, and comfort and security, is tough, but get it right and they could race ahead of competition.”

Talk to Team discovery about ensuring your mobile site does the job of helping your clients find what they are looking for – more information on our Mobile development page