m-grocery rating 2018
Digital customer experience research of mobile apps for food purchasing
Pulse customer experience studio expertise:
Study of digital customer experience at online stores — web-sites and mobile applications
Identify the market benchmark and online food players’ best practices, current customer experience and barriers (pain points)
Rate services
Create the research report to give companies an opportunity to improve experience of their customers and build a proper service
m-grocery rating 2018 methodology
We studied mobile applications for iOS and Android platforms of following companies:
A. sale food, and:
1. are in the TOP-10 rating of retailers by revenue in 2017 according to the data of Infoline analytical agency and / or
2. are in the TOP-100 rating of the largest online stores in Russia by the results of 2017 according to Data Insight research agency.
B. deliver food from the stores mentioned at point 1.
The study of each mobile application consists of three stages:
- Customer Journey Map (CJM) detailed study,
- Comparative assessment of functionality,
- Analysis of emotional design and customers’ trust level to store.
Result of each stage is points score. The sum of the points is determining the place in the final rating of mobile applications for food purchasing.
The following conditions do not affect the rating:
- final offline process of getting an order (study of offline experience is possible as well and can be discussed in additional),
- the store has only a part of the food range (some of the new players started with non-fresh only).
Study stages
- Customer Journey Map (CJM) — CJMs are prepared for each mobile application, the existing barriers and advantages were defined by customers who were participated in the study.
Customers were suggested to
- find and download mobile applications in the App Store / Google Play,
- purchase 30 goods from food section.
2. Comparative assessment of functionality is performed based on checklist containing 245 parameters. Checklist was formed expertly, using customers’ feedback at the CJM stage as well.
Parameters are sorted by groups: Information for customers, Catalog, Product card, Cart checking, Ordering, Notifications and Profile.
3. Emotional design and trust level analysis — based on concept of three levels of emotional design: Basic, Functional, Conscious.
Mobile applications have been examined for the characteristics that bring an emotional comfort and affect to the customers ’ level of trust.
Final rating of mobile applications
Final rating is available below. The ratings of services for each stages are available below in appropriate blocks as well.
Final rating, iOS
Final rating, Android
1. Customer Journey Map (CJM) study
CJM is a tool for visualizing customer’s interaction with the mobile application. Elements of interaction are related to both the purchase of process sides (goals and objectives of the customers, their actions, expected result, problems and advantages of the process, touchpoints), and the psycho-emotional state of the customers (thoughts, feelings and emotions).
Audit of actual CJM gives ideas and insights to improve the service in these and some other areas:
- technical implementation (for example, mobile application of competitors has more functions),
- organizational (for example, improving communication within the company in sale process),
- behavioral model of the customers, set by the owner of service (for example, mobile application requires the obligatory registration before food purchasing).
To study actual CJM, 36 non-moderated ethnographic field studies were conducted — the customer, being in convenient conditions, was asked to find and install mobile application, collect the cart of 30 products and place an order.
Customer Journey Maps for each mobile application are prepared based on the results of observation of the customers and interviews with them. CJMs include description of goals, customer expectations, purchase process, emotions and thoughts of customers, barriers to using the service, convenient options for implementation, insights.
CJM rating, iOS
CJM rating, Android
CJM issues study
Customer Journey Maps for each mobile application were prepared based on the results of studying the actual CJMs and contain:
- Purchase steps
- Customers’ goals
- Customers’ expectations
- Touchpoints
- Process description
- Screenshot
- Emotions
- Customers’ quotes
- Experience
- Barriers
- Advantages
- Insights
Purchase steps
Main purchase steps were identified:
- to find and install mobile application
- to learn information about application and purchase process
- to choose the products
- to learn more about products
- to check the cart
- to place an order and receive a feedback.
Customers’ goals and expectations
Customers’ thoughts and emotions
Barriers and advantages
Barriers
The maximum quantity of barriers (more than 70 barriers) have mobile applications of the following companies:
- Azbuka vkusa
- OK’ey
- Wildberries
Insights
Customer Journey Maps contain a description of insights. These are the following insights:
- of customers, they are marked in CJM with quotes, completed by explanations of the customer studio experts
- of experts of the Pulse CX studio, detected in the process of observation of the customers and confirmed at the interviews with them.
2. Comparative assessment of functionality
Functionality rating, iOS
Functionality rating, Android
Utkonos implemented 140 functions in the mobile application for iOS
Maximum of functions Utkonos’s mobile application for iOS has in the sections “Cart,” “Ordering”, “Notifications” and “Profile” — 62%, 65%, 67% and 60% accordingly. The remaining sections are also implemented at a good level — more than 50%. Here and further 100% — all possible functions of the mobile application for food purchase.
Utkonos implemented 143 functions in the mobile application for Android
Maximum of functions Utkonos’s mobile application for Android has in the sections “Cart”, “Ordering”, “Notifications” and “Profile” — 62%, 68%, 67% and 63% accordingly. The remaining sections are also implemented at a good level — more than 50%.
122 functions are implemented in the mobile application for iOS of Azbuka vkusa
Maximum of functions mobile application has in the section “Ordering” — 67%. The remaining sections are implemented at 54% level and less.
119 functions are implemented in the mobile application for Android of Azbuka vkusa
Maximum of functions mobile application has in the section “Ordering” — 67%. The remaining sections are implemented at 54% level and less.
Ozon.ru implemented 102 functions in the mobile application for iOS
Functions in the sections “Cart” and “Notifications” are implemented at 52% and 56% accordingly. The remaining blocks have a smaller percentage of implemented functions.
Ozon.ru implemented 108 functions in mobile application for Android
Functions in sections “Product card” and “Notifications” are implemented at 55% and 56% level accordingly. The remaining sections have a smaller percentage of implemented functions.
2.1 Information for customers
Welcome guide
5 from of 9 mobile applications for iOS and Android have welcome screens (guide) describing the purchase process and the benefits for the customers
Best practice: welcome guide
Krasnoe & beloe, Wildberries, igooods, instamart and golamago have welcome screens with process of purchase and advantages of using mobile application
2.2 Product catalog
Easy purchase options
Mobile applications for iOS and Android of O’key, Azbuka vkusa, Utkonos, igooods, instamart and golamago have the possibility to choose the quantity of products without going to the product page.
Mobile applications of igooods, instamart and golamago display the total cost of the product taking into account the chosen quantity / weight of product by customer.
Purchasing from the product catalog without going to the product page is implemented in all applications except Wildberries.
The ability to put products to the cart from product catalog without registration is available in the mobile applications for iOS and Android of Krasnoe & beloe, O’key, Ozon.ru, Azbuka vkusa igooods, instamart, Utkonos — only for Android.
Best practice: availability of the total price of chosen product quantity
igooods, instamart and golamago provide customers with the total price of chosen quantity, weight of product while customer uses product catalog
2.3 Product card
Photographies of product — 2 and more
2 and more photos available only in mobile applications of Krasnoe & beloe and Utkonos
Best practices: products’ photos from all sides
Product cards of Krasnoe & beloe and Utkonos contain 2 or more photos of products from different sides
2.4 Cart
Information about the goods in the basket
Mobile applications for iOS and Android of Krasnoe & beloe, O’key, Ozon.ru, Utkonos, instamart, golamago have product price per item.
Final price of chosen products, excluding shipping is implemented in applications for iOS and Android in the mobile applications of Wildberries, Ozon.ru, Azbuka vkusa, igooods, golamago.
Information on the total weight of products is available in the mobile applications for iOS and Android of Okey, Ozon.ru, igooods.
The total order amount is always available when customers navigate through the list of selected products in the Cart of all mobile applications except Ozon.ru.
Best practices: Cart final cost is always available
All mobile applications, except Ozon.ru always show the final Cart amount during customers use the Cart
2.5 Ordering
Order payment options
8 from 9 mobile applications offer a cash or card payment, golamago requires card payment as mandatory option at the moment of order confirmation.
Utkonos has the ability to pay by Apple Pay and Google Pay. The Azbuka vkusa mobile application provides only Apple Pay option
Best practices: Apple Pay / Google Pay and loyalty points options for payment
Azbuka vkusa has an option to pay for the order with Vkusomaniya card points (own loyalty system) and an option to pay by Apple Pay in the iOS mobile application
Utkonos offers customers to pay for the order by Apple Pay and Google Pay.
2.6 SMS, push, e-mail notifications
SMS-confirmation of an order
Utkonos, Azbuka vkusa, igooods, instamart and golamago send SMS confirmation for an order.
E-mail-confirmation is available after purchasing in all mobile application except Krasnoe & beloe and golamago.
Ozon.ru, igooods, instamart, golamago ask customers to rate their experience.
All companies except O’key send push notifications. Wildberries sends it 3–4 times a day, using ‘smiles’ and Caps Lock in messages (that makes confused most of the customers).
2.7 Profile
Customer’s profile
Wildberries, Utkonos and igooods have an options in their mobile applications to upload customers’ photos.
Wildberries, Utkonos and golamago have an option to manage alerts and subscriptions.
O’key, Utkonos, Azbuka vkusa and igooods give the opportunity to view all customer’s delivery addresses. Utkonos, Azbuka vkusa, igooods allow customer to edit and add new addresses.
Personal offers are available in the mobile applications of Wildberries and Ozon.ru.
Best practice: subscription management option
Wildberries, Utkonos и golamago give opportunity to their customers to manage the subscriptions for news
3. Emotional design and trust level analysis
Features of the analysis of emotional design
Concept of three levels of emotional design: Basic, Functional, Conscious was used for emotional design and trust level analysis.
Each level has a number of characteristics that were evaluated expertly by the CX studio “Pulse” experts with taking into account the information:
- received from interviews with customers at the first step of research (CJM audit),
- from the functionality estimation at the second step of research (functionality assessment).
At a basic level, the service must meet the needs of customers in reliability, security, and also overcome those barriers that consumers have when they are buying food online: the inability to check the product, doubts about freshness, doubts about quality.
Functional level solves the issues of easy purchase and convenience of use of the mobile application functions, clear communication with customers, gives freedom of action and the ability to control the process.
Conscious level implies that the customer’s interaction with the company at this level brings a sense of satisfaction. At this level long-term relationships are building up — customers are consciously becoming adherents of service and brand.
Emotional design rating, iOS
Emotional design rating, Android
Basic level of emotional design: support
Only 2 from 9 mobile applications allow customers to get information about the process of purchasing.
O’key, Utkonos in applications for iOS and Android, Wildberries in the iOS application provide a phone number for easy access to the online store manager.
Customer support by instant messaging is available in Krasnoe & beloe and Wildberries mobile applications for iOS and Android, Azbuka vkusa and golamago have a chat, but it is only available for customers after registration.
Functional level of emotional design: control
To control of the status of the order, to manage products in the Cart are available stable only in the mobile applications of Utkonos and golamago.
The ability to cancel the previous action (purchase, removal of product from the Cart) are not available stable in all mobile applications.
Russian version is available by the link.
