ComScore, Inc has released the 2011 edition of its State of Online and Mobile Banking report and the news is good for mobile financial services.

"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," Sara Lenart, comScore's VP for Financial Servcies, said in a statement.

"Use of online banking climbed steadily, showing improvements in customer satisfaction across the board, while mobile banking gained adoption, particularly among those using apps,” Lenart said.

Lenard admitted that areas of opportunity remain banks looking to increase customer engagement across both fixed Internet and mobile platforms. She said FIs looking to ensure they are meeting their customers’ needs must continue to expand and refine its digital marketing strategies in 2012 to increase customer penetration and engagement.

Highlights of the report include:

• Access and engagement with FIs through mobile grows: Sixteen percent of U.S. mobile users said they use mobile devices to access financial information. Mobile banking users are also very engaged through their devices. Nearly three-quarters of mobile bankers reported interacting with banks on their mobile devices at least once per week.
• Online banking continues to grow: online banking volumes across the top 10 banks suprassed 65 million liquid deposit account (LDA) customers. LDA accounts include checking, savings and money market accounts.
• Bill payment on bank, credit card and third party sites used by nearly two-thirds of online FI customers: Nearly 66 percent of customers have used bill payment services with banks accounting for most online bill payment. Security is cited as the main reason customers don't use bill payment services.

“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,” Lenart said.

ComScore said its report uses data from a survey of 2,000 U.S. Internet users, as well as data from its Mobile Financial Services Advisor report and its opt-in behavioral panel of more than 1 million U.S. Internet users.

For more stories like this visit the Mobile Banking research center.