Ok, so we all have smartphones. But how do we use them?
Mobiles are no longer for just calling – they’re a shopping device, says Google.
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Australia’s love affair with the smartphone is continuing with a whopping 52% now clutching a handset – be it an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or other device.
But it seems we’re not willing to part with them in a hurry. In fact, almost 25% of us would rather part with our TV set than a smartphone.
That’s according to a study by Google Australia, which reveals 3 out of 4 of us don’t leave the house without our beloved mobile, which Google says is “especially significant” in a country that loves free-to-air TV and cooking shows.
Australia’s smartphone penetration is now 52%- one of the highest in the world – representing 40% growth in a year.
But we love to shop also and a whopping 94% of us researched a product from a smartie and almost a third have purchased items via mobile shopping.
However, retailers are falling behind the mobile curve, warns the Internet giant.
The vast majority (79%) of Aussie businesses don’t have a mobile-optimised website, the Google study indicates.
“The mobile revolution isn’t ‘coming’ – it’s already happened,” warns Jason Pellegrino, Head of Mobile Ads, Google.
“Mobile is no longer optional: businesses need to develop a mobile strategy now, or risk getting left behind.”
This is especially urgent since 61% of mobile users surveyed said they were unlikely to return to a site they had trouble accessing from their phone.
Online travel giant Webjet says bookings via smartphones have increased 27% monthly since October 2010.
But small business won’t lose out either by having mobile friendly sites, and will also reap rewards from having their site up to scratch.
Google’s research also shows that smartphone users are ‘multi-tasking’ on mobile, creating opportunities for advertisers to amplify their campaigns with mobile ads.
80% of consumers surveyed use their phone while doing other things such as watching TV or reading newspapers or magazines.
57% have actively searched on their mobile device after seeing an ad on TV.
“Businesses should complement their online and offline ad campaigns with mobile ads to reach their target audience on all screens their audience is looking at,” Pellegrino says.
