this issue>wireless
Mobile Services Hampered
by Poor Experiences
Poll Identifies the Need to Improve
SAN FRANCISCO (Aug. 2, 2005) Macromedia has released findings of
a new consumer survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf
of Macromedia. The poll confirms that more than 8 out of 10 (81%)
U.S. adults currently own a cell phone, but a combination of factors
relating to consumer experience, including download speeds, confusing
menu interfaces, poor graphics quality, and lack of relevant information,
serve as barriers to increased use of data services.
In addition to making and receiving calls, the most common cell
phone activities among U.S. adult cell phone owners include: using
the calendar and address book (42%), downloading or playing games
(33%), and downloading ringtones (32%). Among the least common uses
is accessing online information services (21%). Consumer experience
factors that prevent consumers from doing more with their cell phones
include: connecting to network-based services is too slow (22%),
menu options are not consumer-friendly (19%), and the quality of
graphics is too poor (13%). In addition, more than one quarter of
U.S. adult cell phone owners polled (27%) claim that the information
available from their cell phones is not useful for their day-to-day
activities.
Among those surveyed, 53% of U.S. adults would access traffic updates
on their phones if the service were available, 42% would use a cell
phone to participate in emergency responses such as Amber Alerts
or SMS support of emergency responses, and 34% would access information
about city events, restaurants, and entertainment. Further illustrating
how the cell phone has become an integral part of consumers’
lives, 42% of adults said that they would not go on vacation without
a cell phone, compared with only 24% who said that they would not
go on vacation without a camera.
About This Survey
Harris Interactive fielded the study within the United States on
behalf of Macromedia between June 28-30, 2005, among 2,365 U.S.
adults (18+), of whom 1,946 own a cell phone. Data was weighted
to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis
of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity,
and propensity to be online.
Though this online sample is not a probability sample, in theory,
with a probability sample of this size, Harris Interactive estimates
with 95% certainty that the results have a sampling error of plus
or minus three percentage points.
Source: Macromedia (macromedia.com/mobile)
Harris Interactive (harrisinteractive.com)
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