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According to figures reported by The Guardian, we're just over a year away from smartphones accounting for more than half of UK mobile owners. Recent sales data suggests that the year on year increase of smartphone ownership (around 2.5 per cent since April 2010) means that we will see the tipping point occur in 2013. Smartphones are now seen as useful tools for sourcing information quickly and effectively and are with their users all the time.
So what does this mean for businesses in general? Well according to recent Google research smartphone users can be broken down into three separate user types:
Action-Oriented Searchers: Nine out of ten smartphone searches results in an action (purchasing, contacting or visiting a business, etc.)
Local Information Seekers: 95% of smartphone users have looked for local information and 88% have acted on the information they received.
Purchase-driven Shoppers: 79% of smartphone users use their smartphone to help with shopping, price comparisons, locating retailers etc.
Optimising Your Website For Mobile Users
Businesses need to optimise websites for mobile and ensure that that they have a local presence with Google Places, local directories and Internet Yellow Pages sites etc. In addition, businesses should consider launching mobile apps, have specific mobile offerings to encourage users to engage and look into mobile payment methods, such as Square and PayPal. Above all, they should figure out how to 'hook up' with the mobile audience, because they're much more knowledgeable and active than previous online shoppers.
For many businesses, it increasingly makes sense to formulate multi-channel strategies that cover traditional search, mobile, social and offline campaigns. As smartphone and mobile search grows it essential for businesses that they don’t get left behind.
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