70% of the world's population now has a mobile phone, that’s over 5 billion mobile subscribers, and in places like the US, it’s closer to 9 in 10 people. Always on global, flexible and agile, mobile is where many of us meet the Internet, companies, products and services. The mobile wave is here.
So what are we doing with our mobile devices? And who is making money as a result?
46% of US smartphone and tablet users pan to make holiday retail purchases via mobile devices this year. Consumers are also researching retail options using barcode scanners like RedLaser, and making purchases, using mobile apps. Nearly half of all consumers use their mobile devices to look up products or promotions, and consumers are more likely to purchase from retailers that offer mobile commerce.
50% of all local searches are performed on mobile devices. There are over 200 million mobile Facebook users. Mobile is predicted to overtake the personal computer as the first screen for Web access as soon as 2013. Mobile users are using their smartphones to do more. In the United States 25%of mobile Web users are mobile-only. And mobile users are influencers and connectors. People who use Facebook on their mobile devices are twice as active on Facebook as non-mobile users.
Not surprisingly, businesses are already crafting and implementing mobile strategies. 73% of all businesses and 89% of e-business professionals say their firm currently has a mobile strategy in place. 69% of them intend to increase their investment in mobile. A recent report predicts that Google’s mobile ad revenue will reach US$14 billion by 2015. Consumers are using their mobile devices for travel and hospitality reservations, using apps like TripAdvisor and Expedia. The space boasts some impressive results. Marriott’s mobile bookings generated $1.25 million in the first 100 days of its launch.
Another established sweetspot is online trading, which has seen a high penetration of mobile apps and strong usage. 11% of US online adults with an investment account are now mobile investors. Mobile games are also seeing strong profits. 83% of smartphone owners said they had played at least one mobile game in the past week.
But, with the exception of a few bright spots, mobile revenues and mobile marketing ROI remains low. Most firms are looking to achieve engagement or branding goals, not measurable ROI. According to a recent Forrester study, more than half of companies surveyed say their mobile aim is to boost customer satisfaction, while 29% say they want to build customer loyalty, and fully 17% say they are using mobile to “test and learn.”