Consumers express frustration with mobile shopping experience

More than 80 million Americans have smartphones and as many as 44 percent of the 234 million mobile subscribers in the U.S. have phones with access to the internet. These mobile devices are becoming especially crucial to the shopping experience – consumers can leverage their phones while on-the-go to compare prices, look up reviews and even purchase items.

However, few major retailers are providing a satisfactory mobile shopping experience, which suggests smaller businesses still have room to capitalize on the market. According to a new study conducted by Tealeaf, which analyzed the top 35 retailers in the United States as per Internet Retailers Mobile Commerce Top 300, as many as 41 percent of mobile shoppers were frustrated with the process.

While there were a number of criticisms thrown at retailers, there were three common gripes that stuck out. First, it was difficult for shoppers to complete transactions from their mobile devices. Second, they found it difficult to navigate mobile small business websites through search functions. Finally, the online and mobile channels of said retailers were markedly disparate.

"Customers experienced payment problems, had trouble searching and sorting through product and entering data," said Geoff Galat, vice president of worldwide marketing at Tealeaf. "Customers want to buy on their mobile phones and have high expectations."

Struggling shoppers

Tealeaf's study, which is based on social media chatter on websites such as Twitter, found that more than half (58 percent) of the negative conversations held by mobile shoppers revolved around payment problems and search issues. Nearly one-quarter (21 percent) offered suggestions for features and improvements that would have otherwise enhanced the shopping experience.

As Galat notes, this type of chatter can be particularly damaging to a company. When shoppers criticize a business and the experience it offers, they do so mainly to help ensure their friends don't get stuck in the same situation.

"[More than 75 percent] of the negative chatter on social media is with the intent to steer people away," Galat told BusinessInsider. "It's a cautioning network that can turn these problems into very large issues very quickly."

As many as 85 percent of shoppers believe mobile versions of websites should be just as good as their standard web counterparts. This stands in stark contrast with how mobile sites actually perform, as Tealeaf's study found.

When designing a mobile site, it's crucial that small business owners realize it will be a challenging process. Mobile apps and sites are complex, and developing a platform that doesn't turn customers away will take time. However, once a suitable mobile presence has been developed, they will be in a unique position to capitalize on this disgruntled market.

"It's about addressing the opportunity cost, and asking how much they didn’t get that they could have," he said. "Mobile is a real channel now. It’s no longer a nice to have thing."

Developing a mobile strategy

While consumers are frustrated with the mobile shopping experience at major retailers, these brands are at least giving them the opportunity to purchase products from their phones. A separate report from Hubspot notes that only 33 percent of businesses have mobile strategies in place. Given the size of the burgeoning smartphone market, it's crucial that entrepreneurs think seriously of expanding to mobile websites and apps.

Do you currently have a mobile marketing initiative in place? If not, are you at least considering it?

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