Mobile Huge Factor In Product Research: Survey

More than 75% of respondents said they bought a product at a store after researching the product on their mobile device, according to a survey conducted by Limelight Networks.

Meanwhile, 72% indicated they bought a product on a retailer’s website on a computer after researching a product on a mobile device; 71% used their mobile device to research products while they are physically in the store.
Of the 520 respondents who completed the survey in October, 83% have researched and purchased a product on a shopping site using their internet-connected mobile device.

“Even if respondents do not complete purchases on their internet-connected mobile devices, they are using their devices as a source of product information before making purchases elsewhere,” said David Hatfield, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Limelight Networks.

Some of the survey’s key findings include:

  • One-third of those who use internet-connected mobile devices to research and purchase products on shopping sites do so frequently (weekly or monthly).
  • Mobile shopping expectations mirror those for the desktop – respondents want speedy experiences, rich media like product videos, and easy-to-use sites.
  • 88% ranked the time it takes for the site to load or appear on the screen as extremely important or important.
  • 88% ranked providing detailed product images on the site (for example, “zoom in” product photography or product videos) as extremely important or important.
  • 82% ranked mobile site optimization, or how the site appropriately fits the screen (for example, no side-to-side scrolling), as extremely important or important.
  • 80% report instantly abandoning their shopping experience if they have a bad experience using their internet-connected mobile device.

“Consumers do not want to wait – they want to immediately begin shopping on their mobile devices, making the time it takes to begin viewing, searching, and clicking on a site absolutely critical,” said Jonathan Cobb, mobility solutions, Limelight Networks.

Respondents were asked how they respond to a bad shopping experience on their Internet-connected mobile device:

  • 62% abandon the site on their mobile device and return to the site at a later date using a computer.
  • 21% complete their research and/or purchase using their mobile device but will never return to the site in the future if they can avoid it.
  • 18% abandon the site on their mobile device and seek alternative brands using their mobile device.