Research from developers Poq Studio finds that Android users are much more interactive with their apps than their iOS counterparts – and that those with high end Android devices spend as much as Apple users on commerce and services, turning conventional wisdom on its head.
On average, Android users spent a whole minute longer than iOS users each time they browsed through one of Poq’s client’s apps (Android: 4:47min, iOS: 3:48min). They also viewed 5.2 more pages than iOS users each time they used an app (Android: 14 pages, iOS: 8.8 pages). Poq also discovered the same pattern when it looked at traffic to it clients’ mobile sites.
The data also revealed that users of most Android devices, high- or low-end, spent longer discovering products on our clients’ apps than iOS users did. Users of the Samsung Galaxy S Mini spent on average 1:05 minutes longer per time they visited their apps than iOS users did.
An exception was the Nokia Lumia, whose average users spent a quarter of a minute less browsing their apps than iOS users did. This was also the case for average amount of pages viewed per use of an app.
Customers browsing on high-end and low-end Android devices visited more pages on average than iOS users did. Google Nexus users viewed the most pages per visit, followed by Samsung Galaxy S and Samsung Galaxy S Mini users.
But it is in the value of these customers where the research really turns conventional wisdom on its head. At first glance, the findings support the notion that users shopping on iPhones and iPads have higher budgets to spend from their mobile devices than Android users. In December 2014, the average iOS user’s order value (£60.43) was around 1.4 times higher than the average Android user’s order value (£43.13) on the Poq Studio platform.
iOS users also carried out the vast majority (91.3%) of all app transactions. They contributed to 93.6% of the revenue generated through apps on the platform. It should be noted that Android apps had only been live for two months on our platform at this point.
The average iOS conversion rate was 2.3% – about 1.4 times higher than the average Android conversion rate (1.6%).
However, a closer look at the data revealed that users who own a high-end Android device actually rival iOS users in terms of conversion. On average, Google Nexus owners showed conversion rates that were 1.4 times higher than iPhone user conversion rates. Lower priced Android devices showed considerably lower conversion rates than iOS devices: the average iPhone user conversion rate was five times higher than the average Sony Xperia user conversion rates.
This echoes what Poq Studio client House of Fraser has seen and why the retailer has been prompted to introduce an Android app. Andy Harding, Executive Director of Multi Channel at House of Fraser, explains: “With the recent growth in mobile shopping, we see our mobile apps as an essential part of our multi channel strategy. Over 50% of our online sales come from handheld devices, and with a growing number of customers shopping via Android devices, it’s important we have suitable platforms for all mobile users.
“We are extremely pleased with the design and functionality of the app, especially the ability it has given us to innovate on top of a stable e-commerce platform giving us the flexibility to make changes to the app without requiring any additional bespoke development. We look forward to continuing the relationship with Poq Studio to create many more world-class apps.”
Oyvind Henriksen, CEO and co-founder of Poq Studio, adds: “The Poq Studio platform offers enterprise retailers a faster route to market for native apps across iPhone, iPad and Android. The cloud platform empowers retailers with full creative control over their app portfolio – without the technical headaches traditionally associated with app development. By joining the Poq Studio platform retailers connect to a rich eco-system of app technologies, from push notifications to beacon providers. The platform ensures the apps are always up-to-date with new code being rolled out every week and major releases every quarter.”
