Commentary

Mobile Websites Chosen Over Apps for Shopping

More smartphone owners prefer mobile websites over apps for shopping.

And the number of those choosing sites over apps is increasing, based on a new study.

When shopping on a smartphone, the majority (63%) of consumers prefer a retailer’s mobile website, while slightly more than a third (37%) prefer the app, according to the research.

This is from the third annual consumer survey by Siteworx, conducted through Google Consumer Surveys and comprising a mobile shopping behavior questionnaire answered by 3,000 consumers and weighted based on U.S. Census data.

A year ago, 56% of smartphone owners preferred to shop from sites, compared to 63% now.

On the positive side for apps, speed tops deals.

More consumers would download an app because it is faster than a website, compared to those who would download it for special offers.

Here’s what would encourage smartphone owners to download an app from one of the stores they shopped at:

  • 32% -- It’s faster than the website
  • 29% -- Special offers
  • 24% -- Streamlined checkout process
  • 20% -- Loyalty benefits

When making a purchase via smartphone over the last month, the number of times varied:

  • 19% -- 1 Time
  • 19% -- 2-3 Times
  • 10% -- 4-5 Times
  • 10% -- 6+ times

An interesting insight in the study is how consumers purchased holiday gifts this past season, with tablets notably at the bottom of the list.

  • 47% -- Desktop, computer, laptop
  • 41% -- Brick and mortar stores
  • 26% -- Smartphone
  • 12% -- Tablet

Buying from brick and mortar stores also decreased every year since the study began.

Consumers also had some thoughts about what about their mobile shopping experience helps make the purchase easier or more enjoyable. The ease of finding products was the most cited (40%) with the least being the ability to share purchases with friends (7%).

And that ease of finding products is more likely to be through the retailer’s website, not their app.

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