Benchmark rates mobile applications according to several key criteria for success

Benchmark rates mobile applications according to several key criteria for success

Online retail giant Amazon has topped the latest App Benchmark study from eDigitalResearch with a mobile ‘app’ that matches its online offering.

The study, which measures overall customer satisfaction across a range of some of the UK’s leading apps, found that Amazon have successfully managed to transport the usability its website is already known for directly into a smartphone, allowing users to browse and buy in a familiar environment.

Consistency of multichannel experience

Derek Eccleston, research director at eDigitalResearch, said: “Our research is showing time and time again that users expect the same brand experience, regardless of what channel they are using. It is important for brands to take this into account when reaching out to an app audience, and need to make sure that they develop an app that is consistent with brand image, mirroring the sort of functionality a shopper would expect to find on a company’s website – whether that’s allowing users to shop for products, book a holiday, check accounts or reserve a table.”

The results highlighted several key features that app developers and companies need to take into account, including ease of use and its ability to be intuitive and simple to navigate. It is essential that all apps have a clear purpose and should not be seen by brands as a ‘nice-to-have’ feature, it added. They should mirror a company’s website across everything from appearance and branding to functionality, product range and features. Apps that failed to reflect their online counterparts were often rated poorly by shoppers, who were sometimes left wondering what its overall function really was.

The benchmark is the second study of its kind and has now been expanded to almost 70 apps covering eight different sectors, including retail, travel, media and food and drink.