Research firm ForeSee on Thursday announced the results of a new study in which it found that the mobile shopping experience on Apple’s web site was the most satisfying among 3,000 consumers who were asked about 16 e-retailers. Apple’s score was 85 out of 100, barely beating out Amazon’s 84 points. Dell, Netflix, and eBay rounded out the top five.

Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee, said in a press release: “As the adoption of smartphones increases, more consumers are using them to access retailer websites. More and more, there is expectation that companies will address the mobile environment in ways that are effective and user-friendly. Mobile commerce is still relatively new and there is a lot of room for innovation and improvement.”

Apple’s mobile shopping score was actually two points higher than the score for its traditional web store; the company was the only one to do so. ForeSee said that the average mobile satisfaction score for the 16 retailers measured in the report was 76, compared to 79 for the same companies’ websites.

Looking at overall trends, ForeSee found that mobile shoppers who are highly satisfied with their mobile experience are 54 percent more likely to consider the company next time they want to make a similar purchase, and twice as likely to buy from the retailer’s mobile channel again.

In addition, 34 percent of online shoppers used their mobile phones to research products while 15 percent made a purchase directly from their phone, up from 11 percent last year. Also, 19 percent used a mobile phone to compare prices or products while shopping in a retail location, and 19 percent of all online shoppers are now using mobile phones to compare prices while shopping inside a store.

Mr. Freed also said: “The smartphone is a powerful shopping tool and a double-edged sword. Consumers will use it to research products and check a retailer’s own site while they’re in the store, but they’ll also use it to compare prices and check out the competition. The gap between mobile experience and web experience is an opportunity for retailers as much as it is a liability. We know consumer expectations will only continue to grow, and right now Amazon and Apple are setting a very high bar.”