Mobile marketing continues its steady growth and businesses that fail to acknowledge and respond to this will eventually lose ground to more progressive competitors. BrightLocal, specialists in local SEO marketing, recently released a set of statistics culled from a number of sources that analyze the widespread use and impact of mobile device.

Pervasive best describes the spread of mobile devices as almost everybody has some form of mobile connectivity:

  • 8 out of 10 of adults online own a Smartphone, and almost 50% own a tablet;
  • Of these, 83% don’t leave home without their smartphone or other mobile device.

And, while the “everybody’s doing it” observation may be scoffed at as a poor reason for adapting to the changing scene, there is no denying the impact in the marketplace:

  • Smartphones and tablets (combined) account for 60% of all online traffic;
  • 200 million users are expected to search on mobile by 2018;
  • 61% of consumers are more likely to contact a local business with a mobile-optimized site; and
  • 33% of consumers believe all local businesses should have websites designed for mobile.

But having a mobile device is one thing; tangible results are needed to validate a business’s investing in a mobile friendly platform. The numbers are compelling:

  • 78% of mobile searches for local businesses result in a purchase and 79 percent of those convert within an hour; 70 percent of desktop searches take at least a month for a transaction to complete;
  • 78% of local mobile searches result in offline purchases;
  • Consumer spending using mobile is projected to increase by 47 percent ($12 million vs $8 million) from 2014 to 2016; desktop spending is showing a growth rate of only 9%; and
  • Paid search clicks on mobile in 2015 will account for half of the total paid search market, and will surpass desktop in 2016.

What consumers expect when they search was also addressed, and staying local is the prime directive:

  • Almost 70 percent of those conducting research on their mobile device expect a businesses to be within five miles of their location;
  • 52 percent of mobile users cited the physical address of a business of a local business as most important;
  • 47% want a map or driving directions;
  • 44% are looking for opening and closing times; and
  • 37% expect a phone number.

When it came to frequency of use and the dominant search themes:

  • 38% of mobile users search at least one a month for a local business;
  • 58 percent are searching for a variety of food service establishment;
  • 32 percent are searching for general retail or trade businesses; and
  • 27 percent are looking for medical professionals.

Finally, mobile consumers are looking for and respond to deals and bargains as:

  • 75% of mobile shoppers have used a mobile coupon; and
  • More than 80 percent of shoppers say their perception of a retailer improves when mobile deals and coupons and coupons are offered.

While some businesses may look at being mobile-friendly as a flavor-of-the-month fad simply to be endured, just a cursory analysis of the data shows that a smart, strategically deployed mobile platform is a capital idea.

Reference:

Marchant, Ross. Ignore Mobile at Your Peril – 10 Stats That Prove the Power of Mobile Marketing, BrightLocal, December 8, 2015.

comScore. “comScore Forecasts 14 Percent Growth to $70 Billion in 2015 U.S. Holiday Digital Commerce Spending Via Desktop and Mobile Devices,” November 25, 2015.