WebProNews

Close to eight in 10 U.S. mobile searchers favor ad-supported mobile search, according to Usable Product's "Mobile Search User Experience Benchmark" study, whose respondents rated four mobile search solutions.

Banner ads improved the user experience for 37 percent of participants. Paid and sponsored text-based ads made for a negative user experience.

"While participants averaged an impressive 88% success rate in submitting mobile-search queries, only 53% found relevant results," said Scott Weiss, president of Usable Products, said. "Participants who found what they were looking for averaged 143 seconds to submit queries and find answers.

Participants thought voice search would be the most difficult mobile search interface to use but, after an hour of use, rated it higher than text search.

UPC benchmarked InfoSpace WAP, JumpTap Java (Alltel Axcess Search), Nuance Voice Control and Yahoo! Go.

Eighty participants tried out three text-based and one voice-enabled mobile-search solution. They used a single mobile search product to find a horoscope, check the weather, get a sock quote, find a restaurant, a ringtone and look up a sports score.

Success was based on the time it took to finish searches and the user's thoughts of the experience.

"None of the four search solutions was a clear winner," Weiss said.