Image Credit: bfishadow via Flickr
It’s time for a VERY short quiz.
Hands up who owns a Smartphone?
If my numbers are right, 46% percent of you will have your hand up. And if I ask the same question in 11 months time, that number should be 60%.
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that Smartphones are now the mobile phone of choice for the Australian consumer.
The Apple iPhone, Android and Windows 7 phones are fast becoming the norm rather than the exception – in fact in June 2011, there were 29.28 million mobile services in operation in Australia and 46% of those were Smartphones. Industry estimates put this figure at 60% by the end of 2012.
This kind of growth is hard to ignore and Smartphones are changing how consumers access the internet, search for products, consume news and manage social networks.
In June 2011, Telstra in association with The Nielsen Company released their yearly Smartphone Index Report which highlights some interesting facts relevant to small businesses marketing.
Below I have highlighted five statistics from this report that all businesses should know about Smartphone users to improve their marketing in 2012.
1. 44% use Smartphones daily to check email.
With many consumers checking emails on phones and not desktops, it is important that your email communication is clear and easy to read. In most cases, clear and brief communication with simple text will be more effective that complex graphics.
2. 24% use their Smartphone to find locations of retail stores.
Do you have a website? Have you claimed your free listing on Google places yet? If not, this has never been more important. Do it now and make sure you give your address and phone number so customers can find you.
3. 61% of Smartphone users are accessing the mobile internet daily.
The Smartphone is likely to overtake the desktop as the device most consumers use to get access to the internet. This is predicted to occur at some stage in 2014. If you have a website, is it mobile friendly? Is your contact information easy to find? If it’s not – it must be.
4. 31% of users compare prices of products before going to the store.
To be considered by consumers, your products and pricing must be available on your website. If you don’t clearly display your product information, how do consumers compare?
5. 51% of users are happy to receive ads on Smartphones if they have opted in to receive messages.
With this statistic, the golden rules of permission marketing apply. Allow people to give you permission to market to them and they will be more responsive to your marketing messages.
As a piece of research, the Telstra Smartphone Index makes for compelling reading. I urge any small to medium-sized business owner to have a look and be ahead of the game when it comes to mobile marketing. Click here to see the full report.
Sources:
- Telstra Smartphone Index 2011, The Nielsen Company
- Australian Communication and Media Authority Communications Report 2011
