Technical Glitches and Slowdowns -- Web and Mobile -- Must be Avoided at All Costs, New AppDynamics Study Reports

Always-on consumers demand seamless digital experiences on retailer sites; they must offer top speed, convenient experiences and personalized offers

Study highlights increased pressures facing retailers
7 in 10 say poor application performance impacts brand perceptions
Almost half seek apps that enhance the in-store experience

SAN FRANCISCO – JULY 9, 2015 – For today’s always-on consumers, the performance of retail websites and mobile applications is strongly linked to customer satisfaction, loyalty and spend, according to a new study by AppDynamics, a leading application intelligence company.

Mobile apps play an increasingly important role in consumers’ lives – 20 percent of respondents admit to making purchases on their phone while at work in front of their computer, and 70 percent said they make more than a quarter of their purchases online.

AppDynamics’ An App Is Not Enough report indicates that consumer expectations of retail websites and mobile apps are evolving in response to the growth of mobile and emerging technologies, with 70 percent of consumers stating that the performance of a mobile app impacts their perception of the retailer.

According to the report, 67 percent of consumers would be put off shopping with a retailer if they had a negative experience with its app, putting the onus on brands to deliver flawless application performance.

“As the lines between work and personal, digital and physical, continue to blur, retailers must ensure their apps function at all times across multiple platforms in order to retain and nurture always-on consumers,” said Jyoti Bansal, founder and CEO of AppDynamics. “Technology has transformed the retail landscape significantly over the past decade, and now more than ever, software defines business success – with revenue and reputation often hinging on customer interactions with apps.”

While digital technologies have provided consumers with more choices in how and where they shop, they have never been so time-poor, which may be why 40 percent of those surveyed say they would trial a new app if it promised to deliver a more convenient shopping experience. Furthermore, a third of consumers are now using apps for convenience when they visit a store or to make a swift purchase on the go.

The study, which surveyed 4,000 UK, US, French and German smartphone and tablet owners, also found:

43 percent of consumers want mobile apps that allow them to purchase products while in the store, instead of queuing for a sales assistant.
57 percent would like retail apps to provide store assistants with details of past purchases for a tailored omni-channel experience.
56 percent would be encouraged to visit brick-and-mortar stores if apps provided them with personalised offers when they were close by.
If unable to complete a purchase, three quarters of consumers stated that a prompt and personal apology would persuade them to revisit the retailer.

“Today’s consumers expect a seamless shopping experience across online and offline channels, with minimal friction points,” said Paul Hobbs, head of e-commerce at Shop Direct. “This puts increased pressure on retailers to innovate, using the latest technologies to improve and augment the online e-commerce journey so it delivers the thrill of visiting the high street in a more convenient way. As an example, Very.com has recently introduced image recognition technology that allows shoppers to take photos of clothes they like and search for similar styles across the brand’s product range. At the same time, mobile continues to play an integral role in increasing online sales – allowing consumers to shop when they want, how they want, and on any device. With retailers using a combination of technologies to deliver a competitive and flawless experience to shoppers, ensuring the performance of these applications is mission-critical.”

About the research

The study surveyed 4,000 UK, US, French and German adult smartphone and tablet owners (1,000 in each market) and was conducted by Atomik Research in June 2015. Download the full research report here.

The AppDynamics Application Intelligence Platform is a comprehensive solution enabling companies and government entities to maximize business and application performance. The platform is designed and architected to give business and government users the confidence that their business or organisation is running at its best, to give IT the operational visibility and control they need, and to give end users the great experiences they’ve come to expect and demand.

For regular news and information about AppDynamics and the APM market, like and follow the company on:

Twitter:@AppDynamics

Facebook:http://on.fb.me/1fuD8NO

LinkedIn:www.linkedin.com/company/appdynamics

A free trial of AppDynamics is available atwww.appdynamics.com/freetrial

About AppDynamics
AppDynamics is the Application Intelligence company. With AppDynamics, enterprises have real-time insights into application performance, user performance and business performance so they can move faster in an increasingly sophisticated, software-driven world. AppDynamics’ integrated suite of applications is built on its innovative, enterprise-grade App iQ Platform that enables its customers to make faster decisions that enhance customer engagement and improve operational and business performance. AppDynamics is uniquely positioned to enable enterprises to accelerate their digital transformations by actively monitoring, analyzing and optimizing complex application environments at scale.

AppDynamics reserves the right to change any planned features at any time before making them generally available as well as never making them generally available. Any buying decisions should be made based on features that are currently generally available.