RISMEDIA, July 11, 2011—(eM+C)—No doubt you’ve heard the phrase numerous times over the past couple of years, but this time it’s finally true. With the smartphone market expected to grow nearly 50 percent this year, 2011 is in fact “the year of mobile,” according to a new study from ExactTarget titled Mobile Dependence Day, which reveals growth in many different areas of the mobile industry.
Of the 89 percent of U.S. online consumers aged 15 and older that own a cell phone, 41 percent own a smartphone. Android devices are the most popular smartphone, owned by 33 percent, followed by the iPhone (25 percent) and BlackBerry (9 percent). According to a new survey from Prosper Mobile Insights, 52.9 percent of smartphone owners say they use all the functions of their smartphone, with calling, texting, email, going online and Facebook the most popular functions.
In fact, three of those five functions are the best way for marketers to reach online buyers. Sixteen percent of total U.S. mobile users claim they’ve made a purchase as the result of marketing messages through one of these channels. Within that 16 percent, 56 percent have made at least one purchase because of a mobile email. Text messaging has driven 41 percent to make a purchase, followed by Facebook (35 percent), shopping apps (32 percent), Twitter (20 percent), phone calls (18 percent) and location-based services (15 percent).
Marketers need to be aware of new emerging mobile activities such as location-based services. Twenty-eight percent of smartphone owners (equal to 12 percent of the total online population in the U.S.) have used their phone at least once to check into a location-based service like Foursquare or Facebook Places. Other emerging platforms include the following:
• QR codes: 24 percent of smartphone users have scanned these codes to find out more information on a product;
• Comparison shopping apps: 20 percent of smartphone owners are comparison shopping via their mobile device; and
• Mobile coupons: 18 percent of women have redeemed a mobile coupon versus 12 percent of men, equaling 15 percent of the total smartphone population.
For more information, please visit www.emarketingandcommerce.com.
