• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, January 20, 2011

According to a new study from ForeSee Results, the US edition of the Report on Mobile Shopping indicates that 33% of all survey respondents had accessed a retailer's website using a mobile phone (compared to 24% in 2009), and an additional 26% said that they plan to use their mobile phone to visit a company's website, mobile website, or mobile application in the future. In other words, more than half of all online shoppers are either already using or plan to use their phones for retail purposes.

The study found that the use of mobile phones to access companies' websites, mobile websites and applications for shopping purposes is increasing dramatically, indicating that any retailer who is not wholeheart­edly embracing the mobile trend is leaving money on the table for competitors, says the report.

Key findings include:

• 33% of respondents have used their phone to access a retailer website, and an additional 26% indicated they plan to access retailer websites or mobile apps by phone in the future
• 11% of web shoppers reported having made a purchase from their phones this holiday season, compared to only 2% at this time last year
• 56% of shoppers who used their phones did so to compare price informationwhile 46% of shoppers used their phones to compare different products to look up product specifications
• 69% of mobile shoppers used their phones to visit the store's own website while in physical stores, and 46% also used their phones to access a competitor's website
• Shoppers rate their satisfaction with retail websites significantly higher than their satisfaction with mobile apps and sites
• Highly satisfied shoppers with a mobile experience say they are 30% more likely to buy from that retailer online and 30% more likely to buy offline

As part of a study of nearly 10,000 visitors to the biggest e-retail websites in the United States, ForeSee Results used the methodology of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) is able to show how customers' satisfaction with mobile websites and applications impacts their future purchase intent, loyalty, and recommendations across all channels

Shoppers are using mobile phones to access websites and apps more than ever before. 33% of respondents have used their phone to access a retailer website, and an additional 26% indicated they plan to access retailer websites or mobile apps by phone in the future.

Consumer Mobile Shopping (% of Respondents)
Used Mobile Phone to Access Company Website, Mobile Website or Mobile Shopping App	2009	2010
Yes	24%	33%
No, but plan to in future	28	26
No, and don't plan to	48	40
Not sure	1	1
Source: ForeSee Results, December 2010

Kevin Ertell, vice president of retail strategy at ForeSee Results, says "It looks like more than half of all shoppers will soon be using their mobile phones for retail purposes... "

Mobile purchase behavior is exploding. A total of 11% of web shoppers reported having made a purchase from their phones this holiday season, compared to only 2% at this time last year.

Mobile Phone Usage (% of Respondents)
Use	2009	2010
Access Internet to research products	11%	30%
Made purchases online	2	11
Compare prices while shopping in store	3	15
Used retail mobile shopping apps	1	7
Source: ForeSee Results, December 2010

Among the group that exhibited mobile shopping behavior for the specific Top 40 retailer they rated, most looked up price information, compared different products, looked up product specifications, or viewed product reviews.

Reason For Accessing Company via Mobile (2010 Holiday Season)
Access Reason	% of Respondents
Look up price information about a product	56%
Compare different products	46
Look up product specs	35
View product reviews	27
Make a purchase	17
Find store location	10
Other	3
Source: ForeSee Results, December 2010

While in physical stores, more than two-thirds of mobile shoppers used their phones to visit the store's own website, but nearly half also used their phones to access a competitor's website, says the report. In fact, the proportion of mobile shoppers who look at a competitor's site while in a retailer's brick-and-mortar store has nearly doubled compared to last year.

Mobile Phone While Shopping In A Store (% of Respondents)
Use	2009	2010
Accessed that store's website on my phone	52%	69%
Accessed a competitor's website on my phone	25%	46%
Accessed a shopping comparison website on my phone	15%	32%
Accessed that store's mobile shopping application on my phone	4%	19%
Accessed a competitor's mobile shopping application on my phone	4%	10%
Source: ForeSee Results, December 2010

In general, shoppers rate their satisfaction with retail websites significantly higher (78 on the study's 100-point scale) than their satisfaction with mobile experiences with apps and sites (75).

According to the report, a world-renowned economics professor at the University of Michigan created a methodology that measures customer satisfaction in such a way that it predicts customers' likelihood to shop again, buy more, or be loyal to the company in question. The resultant data show that a satisfied shopper is far more likely to purchase (online and offline), remain loyal, and engage in positive word-of-mouth recommenda­tions than is a dissatisfied mobile shopper.

The report says that customer satisfaction leads to:

• Highly satisfied shoppers with a mobile website (have satisfaction scores of 80 or higher) say they are 30% more likely to purchase from that retailer online and 30% more likely to purchase offline
• Those who are highly satisfied are 33% more likely to buy from that retailer the next time they buy similar merchan­dise (customer loyalty), 34% more committed to the brand, and 26% more likely to return to the company's website
• Satisfied mobile shoppers are 32% more satisfied with the retailer overall than dissatisfied shoppers
• Highly satisfied mobile shoppers are 35% more likely to recommend the website to a friend, family member, or colleague than are dissatisfied shoppers

Mobile Shopping Satisfaction Implications (ACSI Customer Satisfaction Index)
	Mobile Shopping Satisfaction 80+ (Highly Satisfied)	Mobile Shopping Satisfaction 69 or Lower (Dissatisfied)	% Difference Between Highly Satisfied & Dissatisfied
Brand Commitment	90	67	34%
Likelihood to Return	93	74	26%
Purchase Next Time	92	69	33%
Purchase Offline	83	64	30%
Purchase Online	91	70	30%
Recommend	93	69	35%
Retailer Satisfaction	91	69	32%
Source: ForeSee Results, December 2010

The report concludes by noting that applications and websites tailored to mobile shoppers are a must-have for retailers. As smartphone use increases, more customers will turn to the mobile channel to find price and product information before making a purchase. Whether or not a customer turns to a specific retailer's site or app will be dependent on availability and ease of use. Since satisfaction with mobile experiences drives critical customer behavior, the measurement of satisfaction with websites, mobile websites, and mobile apps shoppers is a necessity.

For additional details and access to the PDF file, please visit ForeSee here.