In today’s fast-paced digital world, a seamless mobile app experience isn’t just a luxury – it’s a necessity for brand success. When a mobile app is intuitive and easy to navigate, it enhances customers’ perception of their interaction with the brand.
In fact, according to research from bespokeCX, CX4ROCKS and OnResearch, customers who find a brand’s mobile app easy to use are 2.6 times more likely to rate their interaction as exceptional compared to those who struggle with a difficult interface.
The impact doesn’t stop there – these satisfied users are 3.5 times more likely to maintain a positive perception of the brand overall.
In essence, an effective mobile app isn’t merely a tool; it’s a bridge that strengthens and solidifies unbreakable customer relationships.
Figure 1. Impact of mobile app experience on interaction and brand perception.
The insights in this article are based on research conducted by bespokeCX, CX4ROCKS and OnResearch in August 2024, which questioned 1,000 consumers in the US and Canada to establish how which channels customers prefer, how many interactions it requires to reach a resolution and how easy it is to use mobile apps for organizations operating in banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI); retail; telecom; healthcare and energy sectors.
The study included brands such as AT&T, Bank of America, CVS and Best Buy to ensure representation of leading industry players.
Why don’t customers use mobile apps more frequently?
In recent years, the surge in mobile app development has been undeniable, yet only a small fraction – just five percent of customers report a preference for using a company's mobile app when seeking assistance.
Despite the digital push, a substantial 43 percent of customers still turn to the phone for support. Among those who do favor digital channels, they are four times more likely to choose a brand’s website over its mobile app.
This discrepancy highlights the need for brands to better align their mobile app functionality with customer expectations and usability standards.
Figure 2. Channels customers prefer to interact with brands.
For requests that require a single interaction to resolve, only eight percent are handled through a mobile app, while a significant 49 percent take place over the phone.
This disparity underscores a key reason why customers continue to favor phone-based interactions over mobile apps – quick and efficient problem-solving remains paramount.
Brands must recognize this gap and explore ways to make their mobile apps more effective and responsive for simple resolutions if they hope to shift user preferences.
Figure 3. Percentage who achieved resolution with only one interaction.
Mobile apps offer brands a treasure trove of customer data that surpasses what websites typically provide.
Apps can capture detailed behavioral data, such as in-app navigation patterns, usage frequency and even location-based interactions, offering a granular view of customer preferences and habits. This wealth of real-time data allows brands to tailor personalized experiences, refine product offerings and deploy targeted marketing strategies with pinpoint accuracy.
By leveraging app-specific insights, companies can better understand and anticipate customer needs, fostering deeper connections and driving more meaningful engagement than traditional website analytics alone.
The underlying issue with mobile apps is rooted in usability – only 26 percent of customers report that using a brand’s mobile app is easy, compared to 35 percent who find navigating the website simple.
This gap highlights a critical shortcoming: brands are not taking the necessary actions to optimize their mobile apps for a seamless user experience. Customer dissatisfaction with mobile interfaces suggests that despite the potential of apps to enhance engagement and collect valuable data, their true value is being undermined by poor design, frustrating navigation and a lack of user-centric improvements.
To truly harness the power of mobile apps, brands must prioritize ease of use, creating intuitive, frictionless experiences that meet customer needs.
Figure 4. Percentage of customers reported the channel is easy to use.
Mobile app performance across industry sectors
Breaking down mobile app usage by industry reveals some telling differences. Energy customers, for example, rarely turn to a brand’s mobile app when they need assistance; however, when they do, they typically find it easy to use.
In contrast, a high percentage of telecom customers rely on mobile apps for help but often face frustration, with only 21 percent reporting a positive, user-friendly experience.
Mobile apps in sectors such as BFSI, healthcare and retail tend to fall somewhere in between these two extremes. These variations highlight the differing levels of success brands have in meeting customer needs through their mobile platforms.
Figure 5. Percentage of customers who used mobile app and found it easy to use.
The answer lies in usability – when mobile apps are easy to use, customer outcomes and brand perception both improve. One area where mobile apps tend to outperform websites is in delivering information that is easy to understand, with retail and BFSI brands excelling in this aspect.
Many retail brands, in particular, struggle to present website content in an easily digestible format, however, their mobile apps are performing better. This clarity and streamlined experience offered by mobile apps can be a decisive factor in winning customer trust and loyalty.
Figure 6. Website and mobile app easy to understand scores across different industries.
Source: BespokeCX, CX4ROCKS and OnResearch.
Navigation is a foundational element of mobile app performance, yet many brands surprisingly fail to leverage the vast amounts of available customer data to personalize and enhance their app experiences. Except for BFSI brands, customers report that navigating most brands’ mobile apps is more difficult than using their websites.
This presents a significant opportunity for brands striving to elevate their mobile app experiences. Energy and Telecom brands, in particular, need to prioritize improving app navigation, ensuring a smoother, more intuitive journey for their users. By focusing on better navigation, brands can unlock greater customer satisfaction and engagement.
Figure 7. Website and mobile app easy to navigate scores across different industries
Source: BespokeCX, CX4ROCKS and OnResearch.
Given the vast amount of personal data available through mobile apps, it should be relatively straightforward for brands to leverage this information to create a seamless channel-jumping experience. Yet, energy and telecom brands are notably putting in the effort to ensure smoother transitions between channels for their mobile app users.
On the other hand, BFSI brands excel at facilitating channel transitions more effectively through their websites than through their mobile apps. This discrepancy suggests that while progress is being made, there remains significant potential for improvement in making channel transitions effortless across mobile platforms.
Figure 8. Website and mobile app easy to switch channel scores across different industries.
Source: BespokeCX, CX4ROCKS and OnResearch.
Quick links
- Powering customer relationships with omnichannel: How energy providers meet demand
- 6 ways healthcare brands achieve dominance through patient experience
- How to use agentic AI in line with the EU AI Act
[inlinead-1]