Cisco’s App Attention Index sheds light on the growing dissatisfaction among UAE consumers as brands struggle to deliver seamless digital experiences. The latest installment of Cisco’s App Attention Index research series highlights the escalating expectations of consumers for optimized application performance and enhanced security. The global study, encompassing over 15,000 consumers worldwide, including 1,005 in the UAE, unveils a new wave of empowered and demanding application users.
Consumer expectations in the UAE continue to rise, fueled by the surge in digital service usage during the pandemic. While 71% of UAE consumers express that their digital experience expectations have significantly increased in the last two years, a staggering 74% now demand brands to consistently deliver exceptional digital experiences. However, these elevated expectations remain largely unmet, with 97% of respondents facing performance issues with applications over the past year.
UAE consumers exhibit zero tolerance for subpar digital performance, leading to extreme reactions when applications fail to meet expectations. The repercussions are evident:
– 65% feel disrespected by brands with underperforming applications.
– 71% are less forgiving when issues arise.
– 80% have ceased using or deleted applications due to performance concerns in the past year.
Globally, the study positions UAE consumers as the most discerning in choosing applications and conscious of their digital engagement time. Compared to global averages, UAE consumers are:
– 77% more eager to declutter unused applications.
– 80% more interested in controlling or limiting the number of applications on their devices.
– 64% more likely to delete applications than install new ones over the past year.
Ronak Desai, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cisco Full-Stack Observability and AppDynamics, warns brands that failing to invest in application experience could result in customer loss. He emphasizes that consumers now demand the best, and any application issues can be detrimental to a brand’s reputation and revenue.
The study also identifies a distinctive group, ‘The Application Generation,’ aged 18-34, as heavy users of applications, relying on them for various aspects of their lives. This generation is highly selective, with 77% being mindful of the applications they install and 64% insisting on using only the best. The Application Generation is quick to abandon underperforming applications and openly shares their dissatisfaction, with 70% being more likely to warn others about poorly performing applications than they were a year ago.
