Strategy Analytics: Mobile Commerce Inferior to Fixed Internet Experience

Business Wire, July 17, 2007

Lastminute.com Disappoints as Users Unable to Purchase via Mobile

BOSTON -- The Strategy Analytics Wireless Media Lab has recently released its latest end user research report, "M-Commerce: Search Efficiency and Results Customization Critical," which evaluates the mobile experience of leading e-commerce sites eBay, lastminute.com and Odeon Cinema.

This report finds that users rated the experience of mobile commerce substantially inferior to the fixed internet experience, with extremely low satisfaction ratings, depending on the site being tested. At the very least, users expect to be able to purchase content (lastminute.com and Odeon Cinema) and bid for items (eBay) using the mobile portal. This report also found that Amazon--followed by iTunes--are the most sought after e-commerce sites on mobile phones.

"Consumers were profoundly dissatisfied with the concept of only using the M-Commerce sites for research and pre-purchase evaluation," commented Paul Brown, Senior Analyst, User Experience Research. "Participants were surprised and disappointed that when using the lastminute.com mobile portal they could search for flights and vacations but could not purchase either tickets or trips."

David Kerr, VP of the Global Wireless Practice, added, "If M-Commerce sites are to be successful, it is critical to offer users the core features they associate with the brand. In order to ignite M-Commerce transactions, M-Commerce sites must offer efficient search engines, the ability to customize results and assurance of secure transactions."

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Strategy Analytics, Inc focuses on market opportunities and disruptive forces in the areas of Automotive Electronics and Entertainment, Broadband Connected Home, Mobile & Wireless and Intelligent Systems Implementation Strategies. Headquartered in Boston, MA, with offices in the UK, France, Germany, Japan, S. Korea and China, Strategy Analytics works with its clients through annual multi-client services, management team workshops and custom consulting engagements. Please visit www.strategyanalytics.com