Worldwide Study Indicates Strong Consumer Demand for a Better Mobile Web
Among other findings, more than half of consumer participants require their next mobile phone to provide a good mobile Internet experience
dotMobi, the company behind the .mobi Internet address designed specifically for mobile phones, and AKQA Mobile, the mobile division of the global independent creative agency, announced the results of an extensive consumer study of mobile Internet usage and attitudes. Conducted by the AKQA’s Research & Insights department in conjunction with dotMobi, the survey reveals key insights into the importance of a better mobile Web for consumers in the U.S. and U.K. )View all slides)
The survey findings indicated a strong consumer desire for practical mobile content on phones. Rather than basic entertainment and ringtones, consumers indicated that their most-wanted mobile activities included phone-optimized banking and travel planning.
Further illustrating the desire for utility-focused mobile Web sites, nearly 90 percent of consumer respondents stated that they would be more likely to choose an airline with mobile check-in facilities over one that did not offer them.
Additionally, trust in the mobile Web was inherent throughout the results of the study. In demanding access to mobile banking and mobile commerce abilities for basic utilities such as groceries, plane tickets and books, consumers indicated their trust in the mobile Web to keep their personal information secure, as opposed to the PC-based Internet, where security remains of utmost importance.
Other results from the mobile Internet usage and attitudes study include:
- Approximately 90 percent of the 2,000 respondents in the online panel provided by Research Now are interested in learning about the mobile Web, demonstrating a need for brands to make their mobile properties findable via mobile search, marketing and advertising campaigns. 50 percent of respondents were unaware that there are mobile sites optimized for use on mobile phones and the vast majority – 86 percent of participants – said they were interested in knowing which sites are easily accessible on a mobile phone.
- Nearly 50 percent of respondents said that a poor experience on their initial use of the mobile Web has made them "reluctant to access" either the site – or the Internet in general – on their mobile phones again.
- Only two percent of participants in the survey who have purchased a phone in the past six months chose an iPhone. And of those who are looking to buy in the next 12 months, only 4% will choose an iPhone. This indicates that brands who don't optimize their mobile services for a variety of mobile phones will provide a substandard mobile Internet experience for a vast majority of consumers.
- Poor site display and layout remain top reasons for mobile Web dissatisfaction among consumers.
- Almost two-thirds of participants stated that they would consider purchasing theater tickets, take-out food and travel tickets via a mobile phone.
- Finally, 63 percent of survey respondents said they would be more likely to give up their money than their mobile "smart phone" if they were mugged.
Daniel Rosen, Managing Director of AKQA Mobile, said, “The enormous popularity of mobile devices has had a profound affect on the lifestyle of the consumer, unleashing new levels of connectivity and personal mobility. When planning campaigns, global brands need to ensure they take into account the role the mobile device can play in helping them engage with customers, and that they create campaigns have been developed specifically for mobile applications. The survey’s findings show how easily consumers were turned off by earlier, ill-conceived mobile campaigns. With mobile devices more ubiquitous, powerful and sophisticated than ever, there is a real opportunity for brands to deliver ground-breaking mobile campaigns that captivate, engage and entertain their customers.”
“The results from this research signify the need for a better mobile experience, something that dotMobi is committed to making available to consumers globally,” said Amy Mischler, VP of Identity and Brand Services at dotMobi. “The free services that dotMobi offers – like DeviceAtlas, ready.mobi and the dotMobi Developer Forum – ensure that developers and marketers can give consumers a mobile Web experience that is useful, and complimentary to the mobile lifestyle.”
"The .mobi domain quickly indicates to consumers that a site will work on a mobile phone. It's also the most widely used naming convention among the Nielsen top ten web sites, so consumers are learning to 'guess .mobi' when trying to find a site on a mobile phone because they're seeing that they can have a positive Internet experience on their mobile phone anytime and anywhere," Mischler said. "And now that more than one million .mobi names have been registered, the availability of rich, diverse content for mobile consumers is growing daily."
Research audience and methodology
Participants were representative of online populations in both the UK and US respectively )i.e. age, gender, working status, etc.)
Total sample size = 2,019
UK = 1,009
US = 1,010
Participant quotas were set based on claimed mobile Internet usage frequency to ensure that responses were equally representative of novice and expert users alike.
Email invites were distributed to members of an online research panel who met the sample criteria. Participants were asked to complete a 30 question, 5-10 minute self-completion questionnaire. Fieldwork dates were May 19-28, 2008.
Where results between groups differ )e.g. US vs. UK) statistical significance has been tested for at 95% confidence level. )That’s to say, we are 95% certain that observed differences are “real” differences and have not occurred by chance or through sampling error.)
About AKQA
AKQA is an independent, ideas-led agency that works in partnership with brand leaders to deliver innovation. The company has offices in London, Amsterdam, New York, Washington DC, San Francisco and Shanghai. One of the world's most awarded creative agencies, AKQA has been named Revolution magazine’s Agency of the Decade; AdAge Digital Agency of the Year; AdWeek Digital Agency of the Year and Fast Company Top 50 World’s Most Innovative Companies.
For more about AKQA, visit akqa.com.
About dotMobi
dotMobi )the informal name of mTLD Top Level Domain Ltd.), a consortium headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is leading the growth of internet use from mobile phones with the .mobi domain name. Unique among domain name providers, dotMobi ensures that services and sites developed around .mobi are optimized for use by mobile devices. On-the-go consumers can have confidence that a Web site will work on their mobile phones when using a .mobi address.
dotMobi is backed by leading mobile operators, network & device manufacturers, and internet content providers, including Ericsson, GSM Association, Hutchison 3, Microsoft, Nokia, Orascom Telecom, Samsung Electronics, Syniverse, T-Mobile, Telefonica Moviles, TIM, Visa and Vodafone.
For more information
Vance Hedderel
dotMobi
+1-703-485-5563
