BOSTON, June 23, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new study by LogMeIn, Inc. (Nasdaq:LOGM) and research firm Vanson Bourne reveals that companies are falling woefully short when it comes to delivering a satisfying mobile experience for customers.  The research  showed that on average only 52 percent of respondents reported that they were satisfied with their last mobile engagement with a business, a drop from 59 percent in 2015.   With 85 percent of respondents unlikely to do business with a company following a bad mobile experience, these results are incredibly problematic.

Mobile is quickly emerging as a vital component for eCommerce with respondents reporting that 27 percent of all of their purchases in the last year were made on mobile devices and 79 percent made at least one purchase via their mobile device in the last year.  It is estimated that by 2018, 50 percent of all eCommerce purchases will be made via a mobile device^[1], so it’s more important than ever for companies to plan for this next era of customer engagement. 

Conducted by research specialist Vanson Bourne on behalf of LogMeIn, makers of the popular customer engagement solution, BoldChat, the survey explores how consumers communicate with organizations through mobile devices, their expectations and experiences.  8,000 consumers were surveyed across the United States, Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand. 

Among the key findings is that mobile is a critical part of the shopping experience for both purchase and product research engagements. 53 percent of respondents reported that they regularly use their mobile device to research products or services before buying, while 44 percent will actually purchase these products or services on their mobile device, up from 41 percent last year. 

Other key findings include:

• Mobile Satisfaction is Declining Across Industries
  Despite the importance of high quality mobile engagement, satisfaction has declined over the last two years.  Insurance companies saw the largest drop from 60 percent satisfied to 47 percent, with retailers seeing a decrease from 64 percent satisfied to 55 percent.

• Mobile Commerce Puts Pressure on Support
  Customers are becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of support available through a mobile website or app.  Easy to find contact information for support ranked highest (44 percent) among the factors to ensure a good mobile experience.   72 percent report that they have abandoned a mobile experience because it was too difficult to initiate contact.  More respondents (67 percent) report that they use a search engine to get answers to their questions over a company’s website or app.   When customers abandon the website or app, they are exposed competing offers, potentially losing the company a sale. 

• Human Interaction is Imperative; Proactive Chat is Growing
  91 percent of respondents believe there should always be a way to contact a real person during a mobile experience; and a majority of respondents – 74 percent - report that they would be open to an offer of help via a proactive chat invitation while on a mobile website.

• Security and Other Issues Hindering Mobile Spending
  71 percent of consumers reported that they would spend more money via their mobile device if one or more of the reported concerns were addressed.  35 percent believe it should be easier to compare products on the mobile device and 33 percent cited lack of confidence in security of eCommerce sites and apps as a significant issue.

“There are more ways than ever for companies to engage with customers and mobile is a vital part of a company’s eCommerce success, said Dave Campbell, vice president of product marketing for customer engagement and support at LogMeIn.  “Customers expect a seamless experience and access to information across all of the channels and devices they use.  While not meeting these demands can come with an enormous price tag, a good mobile experience can create a competitive differentiator, drive revenue, and turn prospects into loyal customers.” 

Additional Resources:

• Full Report: Effective Mobile Engagement Report, 2016
• Blog: It’s Do or Die Time for Mobile Engagement Strategies

About the Research / Methodology

This paper was written by Vanson Bourne in collaboration with BoldChat by LogMeIn. The survey was comprised of 8,000 consumers across the United States, Europe, India and Australia & New Zealand who have used a mobile device for communicating with a company regarding a purchase, or for another reason. Responses were gathered through a web-based survey program in February 2016. The survey looked at how consumers communicate with organizations through mobile devices, and what their expectations and experiences have been. In 2015, 5,003 consumers were interviewed with a similar questionnaire.

About LogMeIn, Inc.
LogMeIn, Inc. (Nasdaq:LOGM) simplifies how people connect to each other and the world around them. With millions of users worldwide, our cloud-based solutions make it possible for people and companies to connect and engage with their workplace, colleagues, customers and products anywhere, anytime. LogMeIn is headquartered in Boston with offices in Bangalore, Budapest, Dublin, London, San Francisco and Sydney.

LogMeIn and BoldChat are registered trademarks of LogMeIn in the U.S. and other countries.

^[1] BI Intelligence Report: The Internet of Everything 2015