Businesses that want to capitalize on mobile marketing should think about when their customers are most likely to be online, how mobile impacts purchasing decisions, and how they can offer a more user-friendly mobile experience. The more a business knows about these consumer behaviors, the better it can leverage those behaviors to connect with potential customers.
When it comes to understanding the growing reliance on smartphones, businesses should consider both how and when their audience is connected.
Mobile Facts and Consumer Behavior
1. How Often Do Consumers Check Their Phones?
There’s no doubt that smartphones are an integral part of daily life for mobile users. But just how much time do we spend on our phones each day?
The average consumer checks their smartphone 150 times per day. This year, American adults are expected to spend just under six hours each day on digital media. Of that screen time, adult consumers will spend over half (about 3 hours and 15 minutes daily) on mobile devices.
Additionally, 65% of all searches are performed on mobile devices, placing desktop on the backburner in terms of search as well as overall use.
2. When Does Mobile Activity Peak?
What do half of all people do first thing in the morning? Here’s a hint: it’s not saying good morning to their partner.
A recent study found that 61% of smartphone users check their phones within five minutes of waking up each morning. If that doesn’t tell business owners where consumers’ place their priorities, I’m not sure what will. That same study also found that within 30 minutes of waking up, 88% of smartphone owners check their phones and almost everyone – 96% of users to be exact – checks their phone within the first hour of their day.
Additionally, 74% of people check their phones about 15 minutes before going to bed at night.
3. How Heavily Does Mobile Impact Consumer Decisions?
You and I both know that mobile devices influence choices in just about every aspect of our lives, from what we eat and where we shop to what we buy and how much we spend. Consumers rely on information found on mobile devices (such as online reviews, social media recommendations, and Google searches to compare similar products and prices) when making a good deal of their purchasing decisions. These are known as micro-moments.
Here are a few stats that demonstrate just how powerful mobile and these micro-moments can be when it comes to influencing consumer choices:
- 50% of mobile consumers who use their smartphones for local search visit a store within 24 hours – and 18% of those local searches result in a same-day purchase.
- 82% of consumers turn to their smartphones for help making purchasing decisions in-store.
- On average, mobile ads receive 3X more clicks than traditional PPC ads.
- Mobile influenced almost $1 trillion in sales in 2015 alone.
4. How Is Mobile Screen Time Split Between Apps and Websites?
It’s no secret that mobile-friendly websites convert more visitors into customers, especially when compared to websites that don’t load quickly on smartphones. But how do mobile apps stack up?
According to comScore, about 90% of time spent on mobile devices takes place within mobile apps. That’s because mobile apps are not only more user-friendly than many mobile websites, but they also allow businesses to connect with consumers by sending push notifications directly to their phone.
A well-designed mobile app is a valuable asset to any business looking to increase engagement, brand loyalty, and sales – even if the business already has a mobile-friendly website.
Mobilizing Resources to Satisfy Demands of Local, Voice, Wearable Tech and more
Mobile search certainly isn’t going away, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t changing. We can expect to see mobile search evolve as certain trends gain prominence this year, including voice search, wearable devices, and a preference for local search results.
Voice Search
Mobile voice search is becoming popular because consumers want fast access to information on-the-go. This means websites that feature natural-sounding language will be most effective as this trend continues to grow.
Businesses should consider writing content that answers the specific questions consumers are asking about their industry and integrate long-tail keyword phrases into their SEO strategy to bring in traffic from voice search.
Wearable Tech
Smartphones and tablets aren’t the only mobile devices consumers are using. Though wearables like smartwatches and fitness trackers have been around for a few years now, we’re finally seeing them gain traction among mainstream consumers.
The majority of people who use wearable tech these days are millennials (48% are between 18 and 34) and the most popular devices are smartwatches.
Local Search
With Google’s new divided index prioritizing mobile search over desktop, mobile search results are becoming more targeted and more local. I can’t stress this enough: it’s now more important than ever for businesses to craft an online presence that caters to local customers and is easily accessible by mobile consumers.
Businesses that want to leverage consumer mobile activity should continually re-evaluate the effectiveness of their mobile marketing and think of new ways to connect with local customers.
As you know, I’m all about providing a resource to go along with great content. To learn more about mobile marketing download my complimentary eBook, Making the Most of the Mobile Experience.
What are you going to do differently to compete in this mobile-driven world? Comment below. I’d love to hear from you.
