The rapid shift to smartphones has forced consumers to the mobile web, leaving them seeking the same desktop-like speed and features they experience on their laptop and desktop computers. In a recent poll by CMS Wire, nearly half of all respondents said that the mobile experience is as important, if not more important, than the desktop-web experience. With over 1 billion smartphones expected to ship by 2015, and smartphones or tablets becoming the primary device of consumers, the demand for a seamless transition from desktop to mobile will be greater than ever before.

A new Compuware survey, ‘What users Want from Mobile,’ reveals that 71% of global mobile web users’ expect websites to load as quickly if not faster than their home computer, yet almost half of those respondents said websites load more slowly on their phone. Today’s modern mobile consumer is on-the-go, seeking specific information from their device to better facilitate their mobile life- whether its mapping their next destination or checking a Yelp review on the restaurant for lunch- mobile web users want simple, accessible information-and they want it now. With that said, it’s not a matter of recreating the desktop web experience, buy rather creating an optimal mobile web experience tailored to users who seek information-on-the-go.

Despite the rapid evolution of smartphones over the last few years, it appears they aren’t evolving fast enough for end-users who are only willing to wait 3-5 seconds for a mobile web page to load.  A bad mobile web experience leaves nearly half of mobile users unlikely to return to a website and even more unlikely to recommend it. Mobile web developers must innovate faster or risk losing a significant share of the consumer market to their counterparts. We need to bring the web to mobile and the user experience must be designed specifically for these handheld devices with accessibility and simplicity in mind.

We’d love to hear your thoughts- What do you think is lacking in the mobile web experience?