The survey and focus groups explored the mobile purchasing behaviors of over 500 Ohio University students. The survey found that most students are women aged 20-21 who own iPhones. While over 75% own smartphones, only 26.6% have made purchases on them. Students cited security concerns and preferring to see items in stores as reasons. The focus groups had students make purchases on 3 retailer sites. They continued to cite security as a top concern but also said sites like Express were easy to use. Students would consider future mobile purchases with security improvements and exclusive mobile deals.

1. Mobile Purchasing Research
Exploring the mobile purchasing knowledge, habits and
behaviors of more than 500 Ohio University students.
Presented by:
Ohio University ImPRessions

2. Overview of mobile purchasing research
• Over a three-week period during the end of April and
the beginning on May 2012, the Express account of
Ohio University ImPRessions surveyed more than 500
Ohio University students on their mobile purchasing
knowledge, habits and behaviors.
• The Express account also held two focus groups on
Tuesday, May 1 and Wednesday, May 2, where a total
of 25 Ohio University students participated in several
mobile purchasing exercises and responded to in-depth
questions regarding their experience.

3. Survey Results

4. Age range of participants
Age
Results: 29.3 percent of
survey contributors
29.30% were 20 years old, with
27.60%
the next closest age
being 21 at 27.6
percent.
18.90%
Analysis: Because of
the average age being
11.90%
20-years-old, the
findings of this study
6.40%
most accurately reflect
3.10% the purchasing habits
1.90% 1.00%
of traditional second
and third year students.
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25-30

5. Gender of participants
Results: 82.9 percent of
survey contributors are
women and 17.1 percent
17%
are men.
Analysis: The main
83% contributors in our survey
were women, therefore
these results mostly cover
FEMALE a women’s point of view in
MALE mobile marketing.

6. Smartphone owners
Results: 75.1 percent of all
survey contributors
currently have a
25% smartphone, while 24.9
percent do not.
75%
Analysis: Over half of
those surveyed currently
own a smartphone, which
YES means it is a form of
NO technology that can be
utilized by the majority of
college aged students.

7. Type of smartphone
300 273 Results:
iPhone: 273
250 Blackberry: 25
200 Android: 82
HTC: 12
150
Other: 7
100 82
50 Analysis: The results showed that
25 12 7 an overwhelming amount of
0 participants owned iPhones.
Because of that, the most
effective strategies should be
geared toward iPhone users.

8. Tablet ownership
Results: Our survey
Yes showed that only 17
17% percent of participants
own a tablet.
Analysis: Because of
No this, Express shouldn’t
83% focus a vast majority of
marketing tactics via
tablets for the college age
demographic.

9. Top two websites

10. Top two websites

11. Mediums used for email
COMPUTER SMARTPHONE
0 to 1 2 to 4 5 to 7 8 to 10 11+ NEVER 1 2 3 4 5+
10% 9% 13%
38% 31%
26%
42%
10% 6% 7%
8%

12. Opinions about retail emails
350
295 Results: Close to 300
300
people said retailers send
250 way too many emails.
200 Analysis: By sending less
emails per
150 week, customers may
101 actually take the time to
100 86
open them instead of
37 deleting them right away.
50
For example, an email
0 once a week seems more
exclusive than an email
Too many Spam Similar Not
everyday.
deals on relevant
their
websites

13. Email keywords
450 411
Results: Over 400 survey
400
contributors couldn’t pass
350
up a retail email with the
300
245 word SALE.
250
200 Analysis: Continuing to
150 share
100 promotions, deals, sales, a
43 40 26
50 nd ways to save will keep
0 the customers intrigued
and ready to shop.

14. Favorite mobile apps
Top five mobile apps used by our
participants.
1. Twitter
2. Facebook
3. Instagram
4. My Fitness
Pal/ Fit Pal
5. Pinterest

15. Top social media sites
FACEBOOK TWITTER
Results: When participants
YOUTUBE PINTEREST were asked to select which
social media sites they visit
on their phone once per
13% week, Facebook and
38% Twitter were selected
19%
most.
Analysis: Continue using
30%
social media to promote
the Express brand!
SMARTPHONES

16. Sales
EMAIL 332
MOBILE APP 35 Results: 68.2 percent of
survey contributors use
POSTAL MAIL 130 retail websites to locate
sales, with a close second
MOBILE SITE 49 being email at 64 percent.
WEBSITE 354
Analysis: Continue to
TEXT 87 promote sales in banners
on your websites
WORD OF MOUTH 278
homepageas well as in
SOCIAL MEDIA 124 the subjects of emails.
AFFILIATE OFFER SITES 38
0 200 400

17. Purchasing on smartphones
YES NO
Results: Only 26.6 percent
of survey contributors have
purchased a product using
their smartphones.
27%
Analysis: Promote the ease
of purchasing through
73% smartphones in weekly
emails and through social
media outlets.

18. Opinions about smartphone purchases
yes no Results: Only 37 percent of
survey contributors were not
open to purchasing items
through their mobile
37% devices.
Analysis: Promote the ease
63%
of purchasing through
smartphones and give
special deals through mobile
purchasing to entice
customers.

19. Types of mobile purchases
1. Music
2. Clothing
3. Books: eBooks/ textbooks
4. Groupon/ living social deals
5. Tickets: sporting
events, concerts, movies

20. Opinions against mobile purchasing
Results: Of the people who
No repsonse 333
responded, most were
concerned with the security in
purchasing online, as well as
Check-out is overly
30 purchasing an item without
complicated
seeing it in-store.
Security concerns 81 Analysis: Promote the safety
of purchasing on mobile
Would rather see devices and possibly add
76
product in-store Paypal as an option for
checkout. Express could also
0 100 200 300 400 add videos of models wearing
the clothing to see the fit on a
moving body.

21. Focus Group Results

22. Focus group goals
• To gather information on the mobile
purchasing knowledge, habits and behaviors
of Ohio University students ages 18-30.
• To learn about students’ feelings toward the
mobile purchasing process by observing them
make three mobile purchases and facilitating a
discussion with them about the process.

23. Pre-experience thoughts
• Four participants had previously made a
mobile purchase.
– Two participants purchased shoes
– One participant purchased a shirt
– One participant purchased a pizza

24. Have you ever purchased anything on your
smartphone before today?
16%
Yes
No
84%

25. Before this focus group, were you aware you
could purchase items on your smartphone?
16%
Yes
No
84%

26. Why would you be hesitant to purchase an item
on your smartphone?
17%
9% 48% Security
The screen is too small
26% Like to see items in person
No

27. Do you know of any friends who purchase items
on their smartphones?
10%
35%
Yes
No
55% Not sure

28. What did you like about purchasing an item
from the Express mobile site?
It was easy
20%
It was user friendly
4%
4% 52% It was fast
12%
8%
Same as purchasing on
computer
Nothing
Other

29. What did you like about purchasing an item
from the Victoria’s Secret mobile site?
Easy to Find
9% 4%
Loaded Quickly
17%
70% Layout
Recommendations
given based off
purchase

30. What did you like about purchasing an
item from The Limited mobile site?
Specific search
13% options
17%
70% Speed
Layout

31. What didn’t you like about purchasing an item
from the Express mobile site?
Slow loading
24% 16% Security issues
12% Small screen
8%
Nothing
16% 24%
Typing a lot of information
required
Other

32. What didn’t you like about purchasing an item
from the Victoria’s Secret mobile site?
Multiple clothing categories
made specific items hard to find
12%
44% Kept reloading
24%
Nothing
20%
Other (gender specific
merchandise, information field
made it difficult to type)

33. What didn’t you like about purchasing
an item from The Limited mobile site?
Too many steps
8% Kept reloading
28% 44%
After purchase, did not
8% automatically take you to
12% checkout
Nothing
Security

34. In the future, would you consider using your smartphone
to purchase an item on the Express mobile site?
16%
8%
Yes
No
76% Possibly

35. In the future, would you consider using your smartphone to
purchase an item on the Victoria’s Secret mobile site?
16%
20%
Yes
64%
No
Possibly

36. In the future, would you consider using your smartphone to
purchase an item on the The Limited mobile site?
16%
56%
28%
Yes
No
Possibly

37. On a scale of one to 10, please rate your
overall mobile purchase experience
Express
8 Victoria's Secret
7 The Limited
6
# of 5
participants
4
3
2
1
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Rating

38. Post purchase experience thoughts
• After purchasing items from Express, Victoria’s Secret
and The Limited, participants…
– Continued to question the security of mobile
purchasing.
• “I don’t feel secure giving my credit card information out onto my
phone.”-Express Survey
• “I did not like typing in all my information.”-Victoria’s Secret Survey
• “The page didn’t let me know when I added an item to a bag, I
accidentally ordered 3 items because I wasn’t sure it loaded.”-The
Limited Survey

39. Post purchase experience thoughts
– Gained new insight on mobile purchasing.
• “Quick, user friendly, similar to a regular website.”-Express
Survey
• “The set up of the site is easy to use.”-Victoria’s Secret Survey
• “Easy to get to the item, liked the different viewing
options, different categories to search for different items.”-
The Limited Survey

40. Post purchase experience thoughts
– Would prefer to use a computer to make an
online purchase, but would consider making a
mobile purchase in the future.
• “Yes if I knew exactly what I wanted”-Express Survey
• “Maybe, depending on what it is.”-Victoria’s Secret Survey.
• “Yes if the circumstances call for it.”-The Limited Survey.

41. Overall thoughts and comments
on the experience
• Participants cited these reasons most often for
why they disliked mobile purchasing:
 Security. “I often mistakenly click on the wrong link
thinking I clicked on something else on my phone-that
makes me nervous to buy something from my phone.”
 Image size. “Limitation of size of screen for seeing the
item.”
 Loading problems.“My phone [Android] loaded it a little
bit slow, it took me longer to get it up than iPhone users.”
 Lack of necessity. “I don't think it's vital to buy things
from my phone.”

42. Suggestions
• Set deadlines to improve mobile purchases.
– Participants said that if they received an email that said
“you only have five hours left to get free shipping on this
item in your shopping cart” then they would likely make a
purchase using their smartphone.
• Offer exclusive deals for mobile purchases.
– Participants agreed that if special offers were available for
smartphone purchases, they would consider making more
mobile purchases.
• Emphasize security.
– Several participants agreed that having a secure log
off (like Chase bank uses on their app) may raise
their likelihood of making a mobile purchase.

43. Questions