People looking for banking products typically take more than a month to consider their options, and most undertake research online that influences them greatly, a study by Google Australia has found.David Hewitt, industry manager for banking at Google, told an industry conference yesterday that 88 per cent of consumers began their research online, often on a mobile phone.This first contact may be critical, even if the impulse does not lead to a sale, with 60 per cent of respondents agreeing that an awkward experience on a smartphone "reflects badly on the business."Hewitt said that home loan research takes 35 days on average, with first-home buyers taking 43 days. Those in the market to refinance take 38 days.Selecting a credit card takes around 30 daysHe said that 77 per cent of home loan applications are made in a more traditional manner, with people preferring to deal directly with bank staff for a complex transaction.And Hewitt said incumbency was a key factor when choosing where to open a new savings account, with the existing bank picked two thirds of the time.Hewitt was speaking at IQPC's Digital Financial Services conference in Sydney.