Digital Marketing Agency | Barracuda Digital

Mobile search is exploding. Whether comparing prices or researching a product: 79% of smartphone users do so to help with shopping. And 74% have actually made a purchase from their phone.

We’ve written elsewhere about the different ways in which you can use AdWords to take advantage in this surge of mobile traffic. This post brings together those ideas to describe mobile best practice when it comes to search.

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Last month I was interview by Director magazine all about how businesses need to adapt their website to the needs of the mobile user.

In June I was interviewed by .Net Magazine on what elements make up a successful mobile website, and how mobile is a such a huge opportunity for the small business.

Mobile phones with web access have been around for about 10 years. So why is it only now that mobile search and the mobile web is taking off? Well it’s all about the Smartphone.

Here’s how search queries have changed on Wap Phones (Red) vs Smartphones (Blue):

This week’s issue of New Media Age (19/5/11) features a review by Barracuda Digital Managing Partner Yours Truly of H&M’s Mobile Website.

Barracuda Digital are early leaders in mobile search marketing, with a strong record in building mobile sites.

For the full interview go to http://www.nma.co.uk/reviews/mobile/site-review-hm/3026300.article (subscribers only)

Ipsos OTX conducted a study in the US on behalf of Google at the back end of 2010 called “The Mobile Movement: Understanding Smartphone Users”. And the good news for advertisers is that smartphone users really respond well to ads.

Here’s what they found:

General Usage: Consumers use smartphones as an extension of their desktop computers and use it as they multi-task and consume other media.

• 81% browse the Internet, 77% search, 68% use an app, and 48% watch videos on their smartphone
• 72% use their smartphones while consuming other media, with a third while watching TV
• 93% of smartphone owners use their smartphones while at home

Action-Oriented Searchers: Mobile search is heavily used to find a wide variety of information and to navigate the mobile Internet.

• Search engine websites are the most visited websites with 77% of smartphone users citing this, followed by social networking, retail and video sharing websites
• Nine out of ten smartphone searches results in an action (purchasing, visiting a business, etc.)
• 24% recommended a brand or product to others as a result of a smartphone search

Local Information Seekers: Looking for local information is done by virtually all smartphone users and consumers are ready to act on the information they find.

• 95% of smartphone users have looked for local information
• 88% of these users take action within a day, indicating these are immediate information needs
• 77% have contacted a business, with 61% calling and 59% visiting the local business

Purchase-driven Shoppers: Smartphones have become an indispensable shopping tool and are used across channels and throughout the research and decision-making process.

• 79% of smartphone consumers use their phones to help with shopping, from comparing prices, finding more product info to locating a retailer
• 74% of smartphone shoppers make a purchase, whether online, in-store, or on their phones
• 70% use their smartphones while in the store, reflecting varied purchase paths that often begin online or on their phones and brings consumers to the store

Reaching Mobile Consumers: Cross-media exposure influences smartphone user behavior and a majority notice mobile ads which leads to taking action on it.

• 71% search on their phones because of an ad exposure, whether from traditional media (68%) to online ads (18%) to mobile ads (27%)
• 82% notice mobile ads, especially mobile display ads and a third notice mobile search ads
• Half of those who see a mobile ad take action, with 35% visiting a website and 49% making a purchase

What this means for your business

This has lots of potential for businesses looking to interact with mobile users.

Advertisers need to make sure they can be found via mobile search as consumers regularly use their phones to find and act on information.

Location based products and services and make it easy for mobile customers to reach you because local information seeking is common among smartphone users.

Advertisers need to develop a comprehensive cross-channel strategy as mobile shoppers use their phones in-store, online and via mobile website and apps to research and make purchase decisions.

Last of all, implement an integrated marketing strategy with mobile advertising that takes advantage of the knowledge that people are using their smartphones while consuming other media and are influenced by it.

Here’s a video that sums it all up:

That’s it

For information on how mobile advertising can help your business get in touch.

When it comes to advertising on mobile websites and in mobile apps, Admob is by far the biggest and easiest channel to use.

It’s a big network. A very big network.

*AdMob generates more than 2bn ad requests per day, up x4 in the last year,
*There are 50,000 publishers in the AdMb network
*Some publishers make more than $100,000 per month from serving Admob ads

There’s lots of different creative options

By far the most popular ad unit is the interstitial.

And lots of different targeting options

And the great thing from an advertisers point of view is that there are a lot more eyeballs than there are advertisers. Auctions are cheap. Traffic is plentiful.

For help and advice on how Admob can help drive traffic to your site or app, get in touch.

Mobile Search Query Growth