A new study by LogMeIn, Inc. and research firm Vanson Bourne reveals that companies are falling “woefully short” when it comes to delivering a satisfying mobile experience for customers.

The research showed that on average only 52% of respondents reported that they were satisfied with their last mobile engagement with a business, a drop from the 59% in 2015. With 85% of respondents unlikely to do business with a company following a bad mobile experience, these results are incredibly problematic.

Mobile is quickly emerging as a vital component for eCommerce with respondents reporting that 27% of all of their purchases in the last year were made on mobile devices and 79% of consumers have made at least one purchase via their mobile device in the last year. It is estimated that by 2018, 50% of all eCommerce purchases will be made via a mobile device, so it’s more important than ever for company to plan for this next era of customer engagement.

Conducted by research specialist Vanson Bourne on behalf of LogMeIn, makers of the popular customer engagement solution, BoldChat, the survey explores how consumers communicate with organisations through mobile devices, their expectations and experiences. 8,000 consumers were surveyed across the United States, Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand.

Among the key findings is that mobile is a critical part of the shopping experience for both purchase and product research engagements. 53% of respondents reported that they regularly use their mobile device to research products or services before buying, while 44% will actually purchase these products or services on their mobile device, up from 41% last year.

Other key findings include:

• Mobile satisfaction is declining across industries

Despite the importance of high quality mobile engagement, satisfaction has declined over the last two years. Insurance companies saw the largest drop from 60% satisfied to 47%, with retailers seeing a decrease from 64% satisfied to 55%.

• Mobile commerce puts pressure on support

Customers are becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of support available through a mobile website or app. Easy to find contact information for support ranked highest (44%) among the factors to ensure a good mobile experience. 72% report that they have abandoned a mobile experience because it was too difficult to initiate contact. More respondents (67%) report that they use a search engine to get answers to their questions over a company’s website or app. When customers abandon the website or app, they are exposed competing offers, potentially losing the company a sale.

• Human interaction is imperative; proactive chat is growing

91% of respondents believe there should always be a way to contact a real person during a mobile experience; and a majority of respondents – 74% report that they would be open to an offer of help via a proactive chat invitation while on a mobile website.

• Security and other issues are hindering mobile spending

71% of consumers reported that they would spend more money via their mobile device if one or more concerns were addressed. 35% believe it should be easier to compare products on the mobile device and 33% cited lack of confidence in security of eCommerce sites and apps as a significant issue.

Dave Campbell, vice president of product marketing for customer engagement and support at LogMeIn

“There are more ways than ever for companies to engage with customers and mobile is a vital part of a company’s eCommerce success, said Dave Campbell, vice president of product marketing for customer engagement and support and LogMeIn.

“Customers expect a seamless experience and access to information across all of the channels and devices they use. While not meeting these demands can come with an enormous price tag, a good mobile experience can create a competitive differentiator, drive revenue, and turn prospects into loyal customers.”

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