Apple, Amazon Deliver Best Mobile Shopping Experiences

As if their competitors didn't already have enough to worry about, Apple and Amazon have just come out on top in terms of mobile consumer satisfaction, according to a new study.

The study was conducted by researchers at customer experience analytics firm Foresee, which analyzed data covering the 2011 holiday shopping season (November through December), the most mobile device-enabled shopping season ever.

The results were based on responses from over 3,000 visitors to the mobile Web sites and apps of the top 40 e-commerce sites according to sales revenue reported by Internet Retailer's Top 500 Guide, and focused on 16 of the largest e-retailers in the United States. Although Apple and Amazon captured the number one and two spots, respectively, familiar brands such as Dell, Netflix, and eBay also had strong showings rounding out the top five positions on the list.

Commenting on the implications of the study, Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee, said, "The smartphone is a powerful shopping tool and a double-edged sword. Consumers will use it to research products and check a retailer's own site while they're in the store, but they'll also use it to compare prices and check out the competition… The gap between mobile experience and web experience is an opportunity for retailers as much as it is a liability. We know consumer expectations will only continue to grow, and right now Amazon and Apple are setting a very high bar."

And if recent sales numbers are any indication, the competitors of Apple and Amazon would do well to try to meet those higher expectations as soon as possible. Just a couple of days before the new year comScore reported that the November to December 2011 online shopping season had essentially defied any concerns related to a slumping economy. According to the company's findings, shoppers registered $35.3 billion in online sales, a 15 percent jump compared to the same period in 2010.

Despite the gains for mobile shopping, however, customers generally still prefer using a traditional Web site to shop, the study said. So despite increased online shopping activity and trust in e-commerce, and a consumer base swimming in smartphones and tablets, it appears most online retailers still have a ways to go in terms of delivering a satisfactory mobile shopping experience.