Customers frequently research products and services online before they purchase in store. In fact, Forrester Research reports that 46% of retail sales are influenced by the Web.
This online due diligence commonly takes place on a desktop or laptop computer. But today, a growing trend of consumers use smartphones to research products and services while they’re in or near retail stores.
A recent report by Foresee Results offers interesting survey data about the fast rising growth of mobile consumption.
- 30% of shoppers used their phones for research, like comparing product details, looking up prices and using store locators last year, vs 11% in 2009.
- 15% compared products and prices while in-store, only 3% did so in 2009. Two-thirds of those 15% accessed the retailer’s mobile site, and nearly half surfed the competition.
The most popular reasons to use mobile websites and apps were:
- Compare prices (56%)
- Compare products (46%)
- Look up product specs (35%)
- Read reviews (27%)
- Make a purchase (17%)
- Use a store locator (10%)
Reports like these underscore the importance of well-executed mobile marketing campaigns. One of the best ways to begin marketing to your mobile audience is to use the powerful location and phone extensions along with mobile targeting features in the Google AdWords platform.
A smart mobile marketing strategy would be to trigger your business’s mobile ad on a customer’s phone when they comparison shop in your competitor’s store. You could potentially win a customer from your competitor at a crucial final step in the buying process.