By Chuck Martin
A lot of smartphone product research appears to be done using traditional desktop means.
A new study finds that when using a mobile device for product research, most smartphone owners (73%) use search engines, while a third (33%) go to specific sites and about a quarter (24%) use apps.
So while using an app may provide a better experience, many seem to be taking the path of least resistance, transferring what they typically do on a PC to their smartphone.
For influencing these consumers’ decisions, search also comes out on top, with half (50%) relying on search results, 42% on ratings and reviews, and 31% on search results with local availability, according to the study by the e-tailing group.
The online survey of 1,294 smartphone owners was completed in March and comprised 54% male and 46% female, with more iPhone owners (54%) than those who owned Android devices (45%).
Like numerous other studies, this one also found that many people decide not to use smartphones to pay in stores because of security fears, among a host of other reasons.
Here are the reasons smartphone owners rarely or never use their phones to pay for a purchase in store, based on the survey, which was sponsored by Local Corporation:
· 44% — Security concerns
· 37% — Don’t want to buy on-store on my mobile device
· 36% — Privacy concerns
· 27% — Stores where I shop are not suited to accept mobile payments
· 20% — Nervous about trying as I have no experience
· 17% — Confusing or time consuming checkout process
· 16% — Difficulty in navigating on my phone
· 12% — There is no one to assist me if I have trouble with a transaction
And when and if consumers do come around to using their phone for mobile wallets and payments, the field is still open in terms of whom they may turn to.
In terms of whom consumers trust for mobile payments, there’s no dominant leader. When asked who they trust in their mobile wallet, here’s who smartphones owners picked:
· 24% — Visa
· 21% — PayPal
· 15% — Apple
· 13% — Amazon
· 7% — American Express
· 6% — Google
· 6% — MasterCard
· 6% — Don’t care
There’s still a significant gap in what some shoppers can do with a smartphone and what they do do with it.
Chuck Martin is Editor of the mCommerce Daily at MediaPost and writes the daily MobileShopTalk column. He is the author of “Mobile Influence,” “The Third Screen,” and “The Smartphone Handbook.” He is CEO of Mobile Future Institute. Chuck Martin is a frequent Mobile Keynote Speaker and Mobile Marketing Speaker internationally. He also addresses Social Media in Mobile.
