Mobile and online banking adoption grew solidly in the US last year and there was an upward trend in customer satisfaction, following a decline in previous years.

That's according to comScore's 2011 edition of its annual State of Online and Mobile Banking report. “Online and mobile banking grew solidly in 2011 as perceptions of the economy improved early in the year and financial institutions invested in further developing their digital channels. Use of online banking climbed steadily, showing improvements in customer satisfaction across the board, while mobile banking gained adoption, particularly among those using apps,” says Sarah Lenart, comScore VP for financial services. “There continue to be areas of opportunity for increasing customer engagement across both fixed Internet and mobile platforms. Financial institutions who want to ensure they are meeting their customers’ needs must continue to expand and refine their digital marketing strategies in 2012 to increase customer penetration and engagement.”

Key findings highlighted in the report include:

Financial institutions have increasingly embraced social networks and are continuing to explore ways of leveraging this platform. In early 2011, financial customer visitation to leading social networking sites Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn showed 31 per cent year-over-year growth compared to just eight per cent from the total online population. However, only 18 per cent of financial customers on social networking sites were aware of their banks’ presence on these channels.

In Q2 2011, 16 per cent of US mobile users reported using their devices to access financial information, fuelled by smartphone adoption and the continued influx and enhancement of mobile banking apps. Nearly three-quarters of mobile bankers indicated interacting with banks on their mobile devices at least once per week, mirroring engagement frequencies seen for online banking use via a desktop or laptop computer. As consumers increasingly incorporate the use of mobile devices in their everyday activities and banks invest further in their mobile channels, m-banking promises to grow in use in 2012.

“As people turn to online and mobile channels to manage their financial accounts at an ever increasing rate, it becomes more important for financial institutions to understand their customers’ unique online needs and provide a secure and user-friendly experience for accessing financial information and conducting financial transactions. As the internet and mobile devices continue to become an integral part of people’s daily lives, digital banking channels promise further adoption and advancement in 2012,” says Lenart.

To download a copy of the report, visit: http://www.comscore.com/OnlineBanking

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