by kliadmin | Nov 30, 2011 | mobile, mobile banking
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On December 6th, 2011, the leading user and consumer research agency Key Lime Interactive (KLI) will share the findings of their Mobile Retail Banking Competitive Review. In this webinar, and associated detailed report, KLI profiles the competitive mobile landscape of the four largest US retail banks: Bank of America, Chase (JP Morgan Chase), Citibank (Citigroup), and Wells Fargo & Company and ultimately reveals which bank offers their consumers the best mobile solution.
The webinar will include a general discussion about what these banks are doing to provide for their retail banking customers via mobile optimized sites, apps (iOS and Android) and tablets (iPad). Additionally, KLI will share the methods employed to rank the banks based on consumers’ self-reported preferences and insights; provide a best-in-class feature list, as well as a comparative list the available features of the four; and identify trends and opportunities that bridge the gap between consumer expectations and the banking solutions.
“The key difference between this report and other published reports in the mobile banking space is that features, options and experiences are graded based on the consumers’ self-reported preferences.” says Alex D. Rodriguez, lead KLI researcher for this study. “By incorporating a user survey in this competitive review we gain an intimate understanding of user needs and rank mobile elements accordingly. This rich data set functions to help the key players shape their offering to appeal to their target audience versus simply providing a solution that matches their competition.”
Researchers, Designers, Executives, Journalists and Bloggers in the finance industry are encouraged to join the webinar on Tuesday December 6th, 2011 at 2pm EST. Webinar Registration
To inquire about purchase of the published report please reach out to sales@keylimeinteractive.com.
by kliadmin | Oct 21, 2011 | e-commerce platforms, mCommerce, mobile, roi of usability testing, usability
Real users reveal trends. KLI takes note.
As top retailers strive to increase their mobile presence KLI continues to launch studies
of all shapes and sizes to explore mobile trends. In the process our researchers are
gaining intimate knowledge about the general expectations of today’s consumer and
the love/hate relationship they’re developing with their favorite retailers.
As they shop on their smartphone or tablet “consumers don’t want to pinch and drag
screens around and accidentally click unintended links. They don’t want to be
autocorrected or type in 16-digit credit card numbers” says Rebeca Lergier, Sr. User
Research Director at KLI. “They’re seeking simplicity; automatic detection, visual cues,
one-click checkouts… We’ve gotten to the point where we can see pain points a mile away.”
Considering that many retailers have yet to optimize for mobile but a majority plan to in
the next 24 months, we’ve identified the most common pain points and created a list to
improve mobile properties from their inception.
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by kliadmin | Aug 3, 2011 | ipad, mCommerce, mobile, unified user experience research, usability
Shopping, for me, has taken on a whole new form.
I’ve been browsing bridal registries at Pier 1 while waiting in the dentist office and purchasing new running shoes from Zappos while on the train. Lately, I’ve even taken the opportunity to update my home grocery delivery list on my mobile phone while cooking dinner! It’s been fantastic – more efficient shopping decisions supported by in-app reviews, free shipping offers and most importantly less time at the store…which translates to more time for other things.
Our clients are noticing this, too, because we’re seeing a drastic rise in the demand to put apps in front of prospective consumers before they launch. Our retail clients want to exploit the interplay between store, online, and mobile channels in consumer outreach and they want to do it well. With the holidays only being a short 5 months away and the holiday shopping season ramping up in a mere 2, retailers are expanding their mobile budgets and adjusting their second half of the year marketing plans to ensure they can meet the needs of users like me who would just rather not head to the store.
What kind of mobile testing is happening?
Feature priorities are broad and users’ expectations are demanding. The trends in mobile are changing rapidly. Clients cannot simply take their traditional site and miniaturize it to fit on the screen of your smart phone or they’ll lag behind their competitors.
Let’s consider everything that a consumer can do from the palm of their hand these days: text-to-list to add oneself to marketing lists, access location based deals, get feedback from their social networks about purchasing decisions, accurately compare pricing between e-retailers and local retail stores and this list goes on and on. Consumers seek instant gratification and retailers have new avenues for branding opportunities to meet that instant search protocol that is becoming standard.
Our clients get it and they have expressed the need to get their offering right the first time. (…before the app store makes them go through a lengthy resubmission process.)
Although there are the occasions where a template app can be used to showcase the clients’ offering, we’re finding that this is increasingly rare in the retail segment. Clients are customizing and they’re considering their audience as a critical component to developing a successful solution.
What are we doing to help?
KLI specializes in primary research – we work to evaluate user behavior, blend our observations and user feedback with our expertise and deliver actionable recommendations to make things intuitive to the target audience. So, as mobile expands, we need to continue to be forward-thinking as we gather data.
In an effort to help our clients evaluate user behavior across form factors and operating systems as they develop this critical mobile presence, we’ve found a few tools that help us move from the lab and into the wild.
- The Spy Cam. In a nutshell, this is a pair of glasses with a small video camera mounted in the center between the two eyes – they look and feel like a geeky pair of sunglasses.
When we’re using it: Several clients have the need to understand the interplay between their mobile shopping app and the physical store shelf. In scenarios where the app offers reviews, or additional product information or helps comparative shop, users aren’t neglecting this tool. So, we’ve used “the spy cam” to monitor this behavior without having to stand two feet away from them as they navigate a store aisle. They’re more comfortable and we get more information to make informed generalizations about their behavior.
- Mirrored Screen. Depending on the smart phone, there is an HDMI out cable that can be used to mirror the screen on a PC. We use this, combined with screen recording software to capture the navigation path of the user.
When we’re using it: Sometimes the setting is such that we don’t want to observe first hand what’s going on because we may interfere with the users’ most natural behavior. In this scenario we send the mirrored screen to a more comfortable viewing location so that we can see the navigation path as the user executes a task, explores freely, etc. In many cases, we stream this mirrored screen to the client in tandem with our notes so that they can check-in freely as they wish to observe the data collection process. Bringing our clients on board during data collection makes them feel like they’re more involved and increases the integrity of our reporting.
- Diary Studies. We’ve setup easy to access blogs like tumblr, etc. for users to send screenshots, audio clips, quotes, thoughts, and more as they log their usage behavior.
When we’re using it: In some scenarios we need data testing over time. Take the airline industry study we did for example… from booking, to checking in, to changing seats, to boarding, the app is accessed at various time points. It’s an effective delivery method for us to encourage users to log their experience at various time points so the entire service can be properly evaluated.
We’re also using mobile eyetracking solutions, split screen monitors to synchronize concurrent activities, in-lab mobile sleds and camera systems, on-screen simulators, and more depending on the research questions on hand.
To learn more about the presentation from the Big (D)esign 2011 conference in Dallas reach out to us at sales@keylimeinteractive.com
by kliadmin | Jun 14, 2011 | airline, mobile
Which U.S. airline offers the most comprehensive mobile application? How do they compare to their competition? Which provider shows the best understanding of how to deliver a useful and easy mobile experience?
Key Lime Interactive (KLI) conducted a competitive review of the four (4) existing mobile apps of the largest U.S. airlines in the industry:
· Continental Airlines
· Delta Airlines
· Southwest Airlines
· and American Airlines
Each mobile App (iPhone and Android versions) was compared against a list of standard airline passenger tasks to assess their capabilities and features. Each capability and feature scored was gathered by reviewing each current mobile app and each of their respective websites (desktop) to determine what the most appropriate list of capabilities would be based on what users would expect to complete within a mobile app.
After evaluating each mobile app’s capabilities, we compared and ranked each feature to determine which airline was providing the best experience to its customers. User feedback was incorporated to understand the importance and preference of each feature, while current user ratings, from the Android Market and iStore, were included to weigh the real world perceptions of each mobile app. All of these elements were combined to determine an overall score and ranking.
Join us at 2pm EST on Tuesday, July 28th to hear the detailed report about how each company ranks and who produces the best mobile app experience to date.
