Internet Users Actively Shop on Tablets: A Study

A recent article shared data collected that found mobile Internet users find tablets to be key in e-commerce. In a study conducted by Adobe Systems, 55% of tablet owners confirmed that they use their tablets to shop online, where only 28% of smart phone users reported using their phones for m-commerce. Additionally, 44% of tablet users said shopping on their tablet was normal and recurring behavior, where only 20% of smartphone owners regularly used their phone to make purchases.

The study surveyed 1,003 adults in the United States who own a tablet and/or smartphone of any brand. The screen size of a tablet is more conducive to scanning products, comparing prices and products. Last year, tablets were the source of over half of the mobile commerce sales last year, with the tablet share of sales projected to rise in 2013. Surfing the web on a tablet isn't the only way people are buying either, they are also shopping with a preference for app-enabled purchases. Almost half of mobile shoppers are interested in switching from mobile web options to shopping through an app.

So what does this mean for you? Make sure you have a mobile-friendly site and explore the creation of an app. Tailor to each buyer as well: tablet users like more images of products, where smartphone users are often more interested in proximity--who is selling what they want nearby.

Billion Dollar Industry of 2011? Mobile Advertising

Thanks to innovations like PDAs and the iPad, the internet has formed an enormous relationship with the searcher-on-the-go. It's no longer necessary to search for recipes, directions, store locations, or anything else prior to hitting the open road, and many internet users today are taking full advantage of having a world of information instantly accessible at their fingertips.
While mobile advertising is set to close out 2010 at around $743 million, expect that number to hit $1 billion sometime in 2011 (2009 was substantially less "mobile", at $416 million.
We have Apple's iAd and Google's AdMob to thank for the spike in revenue. Also in correspondence with the mobile frenzy, it now seems that sometime next year, there will be more web-enabled smart phones than basic feature phones. Because of the huge popularity of mobile search, it is truly in a company's best interest to have their site available in a mobile friendly version.
You can read more about the future of mobile here.

My Friends Keeps Asking Me What I Think About The IPhone

Apple did a marvelous job changing the mp3 player world with the Ipod. Are they locked and loaded to do it again with cell phones and mobile Web devices? It sure looks like it!

My first concern about the Iphone centers around the browser. The commercials are really pushing the Web aspect, but the phone will use the Safari browser. Until recently, the only way to see what a Web site looks like in Safari, was to own a Mac. Now there is a PC based version of the software. Web designers may be updating sites in the near future to make sure they look great in Safari.

My next concern is about the lack of a keyboard. Ipods proved to be sexy, catchy, and trendy. The Iphone is following the same path. It looks clean, simple, and easy to use. My question is without a keyboard, how easy and realistic is it to type, text message, or email?

The Iphone could be the boost Mobile Advertisers have been looking for. If this phone does catch on with any of the popularity of the Ipod, a revolution is about to occur. Palms, Blackberrys, Smartphones, and other mobile Web devices have not been adopted by the masses. There have been many challenges for Mobile Marketers because of the variety of platforms and access. If the Iphone becomes very popular and widely used, a new channel for marketing will explode.

Some questions still exist...

For corporate users how will it work with Exchange?

Will it play nicely with Microsoft products to sync calendars, contacts, and tasks?

Will Itunes be the PC interface vs a more traditional ActiveSync type of program?

Will there be an Iphone Nano? (Just Kidding or Maybe Not)

Coming June 29th 2007!