China and Korea are the countries with the highest percentage of people who interact with businesses daily via mobile devices, according to a new study released by FICO, a reductive analytics and decision management software company.
The survey looked at consumer preferences and tendencies with regard to mobile, online and in- person interactions with banks, government agencies, healthcare providers, insurers, and retailers.
China (51%) and Korea (50%) were joined by India (49%) as the countries with the highest percentage of “mobile native” consumers — those who interact with businesses via mobile devices every day.
France (12%), Japan (15%) and the United States (16%) were the countries with the lowest percentage of mobile-native responders.
The survey found that businesses are quick to respond in sectors with consumer-generated pressure to interact via mobile channels. This is most apparent in the retail sector, where businesses are engaging with consumers to cultivate brand loyalty and make special offers.
The survey segmented respondents into five categories. “Mobile Natives” tend to be technologically savvy and are typically young (under 34 years of age), affluent males who consider themselves early adopters of technology.
“App Shoppers and Bankers,” on the other hand, are frequent app users, but they typically use their devices for the limited purposes of banking or retail shopping.
The study found that more than half of consumers globally have yet to embrace mobile business apps even though they have smartphones, still preferring traditional channels such as internet or in-person interactions.
These consumers make up the final three categories of consumers – “M:webs” have adopted mobile technology but are not accustomed to using mobile apps; “Mobile Intenders” plan to do more mobile interactions in the future; and “Abc-Mobiles” use a mobile phone but don’t typically interact with organizations via mobile devices.
“These survey results indicate that businesses have only scratched the surface of what is possible in the mobile channel,” said Tony McGivern, FICO’s CIO. “Mobile-based customer service and revenue-generating transactions all seem to be in the nascent stages, particularly in some of the world’s largest economies, such as Japan and the United States. Consumers are leading the mobile revolution, and it’s clear the appetite is there for more mobile interaction in the future.”