8 out of 10 mobile Internet users frustrated by search

The survey of over 2,500 U.S. and U.K. mobile Internet users found that 8 out of 10 are frustrated by mobile search capabilities despite 68% of mobile users being dependent on mobile search engines to access content.

Not only do they have difficulty finding online content but they also claim to have to wade through too much "irrelevant information", found Xiam Technologies' survey (.pdf), with too much scrolling and clicking required to find what they want.

Content most desired and used is weather-related, followed by maps, social networking, games, music and local/world news. Significantly, respondents said that 27% of the time they were unable to access mobile content. Often this is a result of poor mobile webpage design (too large/small).

Research commissioned by Gomez earlier this year found that a bad mobile experience could turn users off a brand for good, driving them to competitors.

According to the 8-page report (.pdf) "It is clear there are serious consequences for organizations who fail to deliver quality mobile web experiences. The mobile website that fails to perform a transaction at speeds that mimic mobile behavior (e.g., waiting in line, stopped on a sidewalk, or sitting in a bus) or that doesn't function as intended is unlikely to attract and retain users."

Tags: mobile Internet, mobile marketing, mobile website