It should come as little surprise to anyone that mobile devices are growing in importance for business owners. While the importance of mobile has practically been a mantra for marketing experts for the past few years, research continues to find new ways that mobile devices have taken on new roles in the business process. A recent study from HookLogic found that more consumers are using their mobile devices as product research device as well as buy the products in some cases.
With so many products to choose from the internet makes it possible for consumers to research the products they think are considering buying. Mobile devices have become so essential for online retail because they give consumers the power of the internet to research and shop, while being able to do so at any location.
Why go sit at their computer desk when consumers can do all the online research and ecommerce they want while sitting on the couch and using a smartphone or tablet? This has led to incredibly gains by mobile in the area of ecommerce sales. They can even be used in store to help find products they want to buy there, or even find a cheaper price from an online retailer.
“Mobile sales continue to grow at a lightning-fast pace, and will dominate desktop sales in a matter of years, not decades,” write the authors of the HookLogic report. “In-store use is growing even faster, as consumers look online to get deeper, real-time information.
Though it’s a relatively small survey of 600 individuals, the researcher have data to show some of the trends they’ve been seeing in mobile users. One of the key takeaways is that three out of five (60%) people surveyed said they had researched products they wanted to buy via mobile device. And just under half (45%) of the survey respondents said they had actually made purchases on mobile devices.
In it’s own way, the study also supported the importance of making sure websites run well on all types of devices. According to the study, 46 percent of consumers research products they want to buy on one device and then purchased on another. This may mean that people are using smartphones for research but then turning to tablets to make the actual purchase. Whatever the situation, it’s clearly bad if people are able to research on device but then find the site doesn’t function properly on a different device.
The research also shows that why retailers need to have information about their entire product line available on their mobile websites. According to the report, 63 percent of the survey respondents said they are product-specific when shopping and searching online. This means that if someone is shopping in-store and then decides to do online research, they are most likely searching for information about a specific product. If a product on the shelf doesn’t have information on it available online, consumers may decide to pass up on the offer.
Mobile consumers use mobile devices to conduct research in a way that similar to those on desktop. In other words, the type of device used for search doesn’t greatly affect what it’s being searched for when it comes to product information. According to the report, of those who research via mobile, most are comparing prices or looking at reviews. This is also true for desktop users. Mobile website owners should also keep in mind that local searchers are often looking for directions and phone numbers, so be sure to have that information readily available, too. Otherwise, people may find a good deal but give up when they can’t easily find out where to go or how to contact the retailer.
Mobile devices will only continue to grow in importance as they become more powerful and consumer grow more accustomed to having such valuable resources in their pockets. For more research on mobile devices, read this article on how Millennials connect with mobile.