• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, May 10, 2016

Retailers trying to sell something to mobile shoppers better be using photos of their products.

They also should expect that those shoppers are using their phones to do research and checking to make sure they’re getting the best price.

In addition, there better be a mobile-friendly version of the website, since many more mobile shoppers are going there rather than to the retailer’s app, according to a new study.

It turns out that mobile shoppers want to see product pictures, use a mobile website and read product descriptions, according to the Mobile Wallet Report by Nielsen.

The study comprised a survey of 3,700 U.S. adults who used their mobile device for shopping, paying or banking in the past 30 days.

The majority of shoppers want to see product pictures while the fewest of them have an interest in using any particular retailer’s app. Here’s what consumers see as important to them when shopping on mobile:

• 62% -- Ability to see product pictures
• 48% -- Using the mobile-friendly version of a website
• 44% -- Having the product descriptions
• 44% -- Being able to read product reviews
• 44% -- Ability to see, compare price of product
• 31% -- Security of website
• 17% -- Size of the text/link on the website
• 10% -- Availability of an app for that specific retailer

Of course, that last 10% may or may not comprise loyalty shoppers, since those often are the shoppers who gravitate to using certain retailer apps.

The actual size of the phone also may have an influence on consumer behavior.

For example, the early iPhones had screens of only three-and-a-half inches. By contrast, there are now phones with screens as big as 5.7 inches, like the Samsung Galaxy Note 5.

And the bigger the screen the more time is spent on that device, according to a different study by platform Localytics.

Consumers are spending 23% more time in aps on a five-inch or larger screen compared to those that are smaller, according to that study, which is based on an analysis of app launches and session lengths across 270 million devices.

Consumers spend almost 66 minutes in each individual app per month on five-inch screens compared to 52 minutes on four-inch devices, according to Localytics, which noted that users launch apps 21% more on five-inch devices than on four-inch phones.

A larger screen also could provide a better product photo experience, clearly desired by most mobile shoppers.

This also could come into play during the entire shopping process, since smartphone shoppers use their devices for a number of actions before making a purchase, according to Nielsen. Before making a purchase, here’s what shoppers are doing on their smartphones:

• 72% -- Researching an item before purchasing it
• 70% -- Checking the price of an item
• 60% -- Using a store locator to find a store
• 55% -- Using a mobile coupon
• 53% -- Reading a review of an item planned to purchase
• 44% -- Using lists while shopping
• 43% -- Doing dining-related activities
• 40% -- Purchasing a physical item on mobile device to be delivered or picked up
• 36% -- Making a digital purchase on mobile device
• 25% -- Using social networking site to comment on purchase made
• 23% -- Writing a review of item purchased
• 21% -- Purchased an item with mobile device after going to a store or retailer

That last one is somewhat intriguing, indicating that most people still gravitate to in-store purchasing no matter how active they are on their smartphones

The key is that before those purchases are made, consumers are leaning on their mobile devices all along the way.

But then again, more than half (60%) of them are using their phones to find a store.