Here at the official blog of Fang Digital Marketing, we’ve spent a good amount of time and space recently chronicling the ever-expanding mobile revolution.
We’ve also taken a long look at the ever-present smartphone, and its increasingly prominent (and even dominant) role in Americans’ lives.
But smartphone usage isn’t only for mobile, in-transit, on-the-go usage anymore. Far from it.
According to findings within the recently released U.S. Mobile Path-to-Purchase Study, more and more consumers are using their beloved smartphones to search and discover information while comfortably situated within their own homes.
In fact, in-home smartphone use has grown a staggering 66% during the past year when compared to the previous year, per the study – which was compiled by research firm Nielsen based on data derived from an online survey, along with on-device behavioral data from 6,000 American smartphone and tablet users.
The study (which was also developed with the assistance of location-based mobile ad firm xAd and call metrics provider Telmetrics) also revealed that mobile devices now account for as much as 64% of time spent online, and some 42% of mobile users now consider mobile the most important resource in their purchase process.
The study also showed that fewer and fewer people know exactly what they’re looking for when they reach for their smartphone, tablet or other mobile device to conduct research.
In fact, only 20% of mobile users now say they knew “exactly” what they are looking for, down from a 34% figure in 2013. That data means that the number of certain searchers declined from one in three to just one in five over the past year.
“Many consumers don’t have a specific location in mind when they do a search,” said Telmetrics President Bill Dinan. “Nor have they decided on the brand or the thing they want to buy. The mobile consumer continues to move up the funnel vs. down the funnel.”
Once they do find what they’re looking for, mobile users convert in strong numbers, with two out of every three making a purchase and 65% wanting to purchase most items in just one day. Offline activity also continues to play a major role in consumers’ purchase process – as 52% of mobile users visit a physical store, and a strong 64% complete their purchase offline.
Proximity and location are also important to these mobile consumers. A full 52% said they desire a location within five miles, and more than 10% of automotive and telecom shoppers expect locations that are within walking distance of where they search. Location lookup, along with price check, ranks among the heaviest purchase-related activities.
Consumers also claimed clear contact information and reviews as the most important mobile features, with interest in those two features surging 55% and 75%, respectively, between 2013 and 2014.
In additional research that supplements and confirms many findings from the U.S. Mobile Path-to-Purchase Study, the recent GWI Device report from GlobalWebIndex found that the mobile internet audience now exceeds a staggering 994 million people – a figure that represents a 19% growth from 2013.
That same report also found that internet usage via tablet computers surged at a far greater rate – rising some 45% from 2013 to approach the 450 million-user mark in 2014.
In fact, in the fourth quarter of 2013, only 22% of all PC and laptop users did not also use other devices to access the internet and spend time online, per that report.
What do YOU think about these findings? How – and how often – are you using your smartphone and/or tablet to shop and make purchases?
Let us know your thoughts, insights and experience in the comments section below this post. We’d love to hear about your own smartphone and tablet usage!
