Study Reveals How Advertising and Voice Improve Mobile Search Experience |
NEW YORK, Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Usable Products Company recently
completed an independent user experience benchmark on Mobile Search. Eighty
participants evaluated three text-based and one voice-enabled mobile search
solution resulting in several unexpected insights about the preferences of
today's mobile search users. Researchers were surprised that 79% of
participants favored advertising-supported mobile search, and 37% felt that
banner ads actually enhanced the mobile search user experience. Paid and
sponsored text based ads proved most detrimental to user experience.
Also unexpected was that participants initially predicted voice search
would be the most difficult to use but after an hour of usage gave it
higher ratings than text search. According to Scott Weiss, president of
Usable Products, "Users predicted voice search would be the worst of the
four search products, but in final usability, it performed better than
expected. We were surprised that participants enjoyed voice search, and how
much more they liked it than searching via phone keypad."
"Mobile search is in its early stages, with many opportunities for
improvement. While participants averaged an impressive 88 percent success
rate in submitting mobile search queries, only 53 percent found relevant
results. Participants who found what they were looking for averaged 143
seconds to submit queries and find answers," said Weiss. "None of the four
search solutions was a clear winner. Our researchers have developed 25 Best
Practices, which if followed, are likely to dramatically increase user
satisfaction in mobile phone searches."
The four mobile search solutions benchmarked were: InfoSpace WAP,
JumpTap Java (Alltel Axcess Search), Nuance Voice Control, and Yahoo! Go.
Participants each used a single mobile search product to check a horoscope,
weather, a stock quote, find a restaurant, check a sports score, and find a
ring tone. Success, time to complete, and user perceptions were tracked. 20
one-hour usability interviews were conducted for each search product.
"Mobile Search User Experience Benchmark" spans 179 pages and is
delivered in print and on CD ROM, with 25 best practices, 76 charts, 32
demonstration videos of mobile search in action, 34 usability video clips,
and hundreds of high resolution photographs. It is available for immediate
sale from http://usableproducts.com.
About Usable Products
Usable Products provides services to clients that span design and
research. Many of our projects incorporate several of our services to
provide design informed by user research. Our core competencies, User
Interface Design, Interactive Prototype Design, and Usability Testing, are
often intertwined in our commissioned and syndicated research projects.
For more information, contact:
Scott Weiss
Usable Products Company
+1.212.929.8599
sweiss@usableproducts.com
http://usableproducts.com
SOURCE Usable Products Company
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CONTACT:
Scott Weiss of Usable Products Company,
+1-212-929-8599, or sweiss@usableproducts.com
