Convenience, speed, and ease of use puts apps ahead of mobile websites

In a global study of mobile user experiences and expectations, 85% of respondents cited a preference for mobile apps over mobile websites.

The top reasons given for this preference were:

– Convenience (55%)
– Speed (48%)
– Easier to browse (40%).

However, apps aren’t without their glitches and, according to Compuware, more users than not have experienced problems with apps they use. Sixty-two percent have experienced an app crashing or freezing and 47% have come across apps with slow load times. Forty percent had experience of apps that just didn’t open at all.

Tolerance for such negative app experiences is low. More than three-quarters (79%) of the 3,500 global respondents said they would only give an app one more try after it failed to work the first time and just 16% would give it more than two attempts.

“With consumers expecting greater experiences with mobile apps now more than ever, fulfilling those expectations doesn’t just happen — it takes a conscious effort throughout every stage of the design and development process to get it right,” said Stephen Pierzchala, technology strategist, Compuware APM Center of Excellence.

“Performance is a crucial contributor to providing a dependable mobile app user experience, so performance should be considered a key driver in the design process. Mobile applications need to focus on a core utility, and they need to be fast and reliable in order to be valuable.”