The Future of Marketing is Mobile
We’re not hypothesising about the future being mobile. The future of marketing IS mobile. And if you’re in the ecommerce sector, you should seriously be considering your mobile marketing strategy.
We’ll start with the statistics.
Follow the trail the stats blaze…
1. According to IMRG, mobile commerce grew by 254% between 2010 and 2011, and by a further 300% between 2011 and 2012.
2. 4 out of 5 consumers use smartphones for retail browsing purposes. As of September 2012, according to comScore, 4 in every 5 smartphone users (or 85.9 million US users), accessed retail content on their smartphone devices in July. The top retailers were: Amazon, eBay, Apple, Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy.
3. Over 75% of smartphone device users respond to mobile-optimised websites. In May 2013, digital experience research by Kentico Software found that 85% of smartphone owners used smartphones to comparison shop and that 44% of those polled would not return to sites that were not mobile friendly
4. 74% of smartphone shoppers make a purchase as a result of using their smartphones to help with shopping. In April 2013, this study from Google, conducted by Ipsos OTX interviewed 5,013 adult smartphone users and found that 71% of smartphone users searched because they’d seen an ad, either offline or online, 82% noticed ads, and 88% of those who looked for local information on their smartphones took action within a day.
Other notable findings include:
- 70% use their smartphones in store, while shopping.
- 79% of smartphone consumers use their phones to help with shopping, from comparing prices, finding more product info and locating retailers.
- 72% of those interviewed use their smartphones while consuming other media, with a third of them doing so while watching television.
5. According to Mobify, in the UK mobiles account for 31% of site traffic. This compares with 47% in Australia, 40% in Brazil, 34% in South Korea, 31% in the US and 8% in France.
Never mind the stats, why do mobile marketing?
According to Kimberely Whitler, a contributor to Forbes, there are 2 main reasons:
- Mobile is the closest you can get to your consumer
- If you’re in early, you’ve got the greatest advantage over your competitors
The opportunity for connecting with your customers has never been greater, given how close mobiles, and specifically, smartphones, are to a person.
Have you got a game plan?
The implications of all the research we’ve done and of what the statistics available, indicate that if you have a website, you should ensure it is optimised for mobile viewing and that it is easy for people to find you on their smartphones, especially as mobile usage continues to grow. Make sure you’ve also got a crosschannel marketing plan as often, smartphone owners will be using their phone in conjunction with other devices on which they are being marketed to – television, computers, etc.
If you’d like us to help you lay the groundwork for an integrated marketing strategy, get in touch with Xanthos Digital Marketing.
