Australian Industry Ignores Mobile Technology Boom at their Peril
Blacked-out Shop Windows and Chaotic Screen Displays Lead to Negative Mobile Online Shopping Experiences and Loss of Sales
New study shows an astonishing 74% of businesses are invisible to growing swell of mobile customers and losing business to overseas competition
For immediate release: Media contact – Lisa Wade, 0409 524 798
Melbourne, 22 August 2011 – With more than 22 million mobile phone services in Australia, consumers are increasingly using smartphones to research and purchase products online at a rapidly growing rate. But a shocking new study released today by Stamford Interactive revealed that 74 % of top Australian websites are not mobile accessible. As a result, they’re losing much-needed business to more savvy operators overseas. With mobile internet users predicted to overtake desktop users within two years, Stamford Interactive examined the usability of 100 iconic Australian websites on smartphones with grave concerns.
“It’s like having a shopfront with blacked-out windows,” says Stamford Director Lisa Wade “or a shop window where the display is haphazard, chaotic and unappealing. If you’re not mobile-friendly, your customer will simply go on to the next place of business. This is a serious concern for Australian businesses who are simply not maximising the mobile-market advantage, and losing sales to more forward-looking competitors, particularly in the US and UK. The Australian retail industry showed the worst results, with only 26% of its sites being mobile optimal, which helps to explain poor retail sales.”
In the US, a recent Chadwick Martin Bailey study revealed that more than two-thirds of today’s estimated 75 million smartphone users use their devices while shopping. A ForeSee study this year found that not only do users buy goods over their phones but they also use them to compare price information, find out product specifications and read product reviews. An interesting find was that while shoppers were in the physical store, 69 % used their phones to visit the store’s own website and 46 % visited the competitor’s websites. Shoppers who were satisfied with the mobile experience say they are 30 % more likely to shop from that retailer online and more likely to buy at the store, develop brand loyalty and make recommendations to friends.
“It’s a customer on-the-move era and we need to provide the information they seek quickly and simply. That means developing for a range of smaller screens as people are preferring to use their phone over computers to access web services” continues Lisa, “so the prime consideration has to be on flexible and responsive layouts, offering a unified, branded experience geared towards users who are on the go and task-focussed. If you don’t get it right, you risk delivering a substandard experience for the active consumer. And the sale simply won’t be made.”
A mobile-friendly site is one that thinks like a consumer and displays relevant and legible content with easy navigation in a small screen, without forcing the user to zoom or scroll excessively. Leading experts in usability, Stamford’s team is made up of psychologists, designers and IT experts, who study consumer habits to ensure optimal consumer experiences. They offer a checklist of top ten must-have features for companies to verify their own mobile accessibility at http://www.stamfordinteractive.com.au/gomobile/.
The Stamford study further revealed that half of the 26 % of companies that had built applications specifically for smartphones were not redirecting customers to their mobile app. This means that their efforts may be wasted as mobile customers would not know that the more appropriate site exists.
Travel and banking industries were the strongest positive performers, offering a number of high priority tasks with easily accessible and mobile web advancements. Travellers can book flights using a mobile device and boarding passes are issued as a 2D barcode to scan at airport boarding gates.
“The Myer mobile website is an excellent example of good mobility function” adds Lisa. “It provides a store listing, trading hours, catalogues and shopping in a succinct mobile display. Fast moving shoppers are likely to be looking for this kind of information.”
Stamford Interactive’s study examined the 100 most prominent Australian websites sites from industries including banking, education, energy, government, health, media, retail, telecommunications, tourism and transport.
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About Stamford Interactive
With a history of success as Australian leaders in UX ( user experience/usability) , Stamford Interactive ( www.stamfordinteractive.com.au) has offices across the country which provide research, evaluation, strategy and design to allow companies to offer the optimal customer experience. True story-tellers, Stamford works to align human behaviour with business objectives by studying authentic customer interactions. The outcomes are creative designs engineered by genuine client actions that drive satisfaction, productivity and profitability.
