85 per cent of people said they prefer mobile apps over mobile sites, according to a consumer survey of 3,500 by Compuware, primarily because they said apps are more convenient, faster and easier to navigate.

84 per cent said an app’s performance is very or somewhat important, with 78 per cent believing an app will launch as fast as or faster than a mobile site and 59 per cent expecting it to launch in two seconds or fewer. But, only 28 per cent say mobile apps offer a better user experience.

“As we move on through generations of apps, we are noticing a heightened sensitivity to performance and reliability,” said Michael Allen, director of application performance management at Compuware.  “About 18 months ago, the expected load time was sub five to sub three seconds. Around 10 years ago in the web age, it was sub eight seconds.”

Most leave silently

56 per cent had a problem using an app in the last six months. 62 per cent found that apps crash, freeze or have another error, 47 per cent experience slow launch times and 40 per cent tried an app that simply would not open.

“People who try your products rarely leave you complaining – the majority leave silently,” Allen said. “The number of minutes that people use apps hasn’t changed over time – but there has been a rise in number of apps used – which means the product becomes absolutely crucial.”

84 per cent said app store ratings are important when choosing apps. 48 per cent of people are less likely to use an app again if it performs badly – 34 per cent said they would switch to a competitor, 31 per cent would tell a friend about the problems and 31 per cent would be less likely to purchase from the company. 26 per cent would leave a negative rating.

“If they haven’t built performance and reliability in from the outset they will get poor reviews and pressure from CMOs and CEOs,” he added.

The survey respondants were smartphone and tablet users across the US, UK, France, Germany, India and Japan.