Jumptap and comScore have released a new study showing that half of all online time now spent occurs via mobile devices. Additionally it is interesting to note the growth of time spent online. Back in February of 2010 people spent 451 billion minutes online, while this year that number jumped in February of 2013 to people spending 890 billion minutes online. Clearly mobile optimized web sites are more important than ever.
The study also shows that 14 percent of women between the ages of 25 and 49 “only access” the internet from mobile devices, meanwhile, 65 percent of 18-24 year olds are screen jumpers – accessing from pc and mobile devices.
When it comes to users for mobile devices, three-quarters of users stream music from mobile devices, 55 percent check weather, and 48 percent play games. Meanwhile the pc platform leads in other areas. 68 percent prefer accessing business and finance content via pc, 62 percent access sports content and 56 percent access food information.
New data out from Experian Marketing Services states that email volume increased nearly 18 percent over the past year and that half of all emails opened are now opened on mobile devices. Regarding mobile devices, iPads were found to be the most effective for email conversions.
“With half of all emails opened on mobile devices in Q2 2013, we noticed that people who open email on more than one device, two or more times, have a greater propensity to buy or buy more,” said Peter DeNunzio, general manager at Experian Marketing Services. “Insight like this helps marketers plan the timing of their email marketing, and its best to include reminders to customers to engage them when they are less busy and are more inclined to purchase. As such, it is important for marketers to leverage platform preferences and engagement metrics to identify key subscribers for future targeted offers.”
According to a new report from BIA/Kelsey, mobile payment options are rapidly picking up steam with 40% of small businesses surveyed reporting they are now using mobile point of sale options. PayPal and Square are two of the top mobile payment options that brands are embracing. Beyond the 40% who report they are now using mobile point of sale, 16% say they will add the option within the next year.
Steve Marshall, director of research at BIA/Kelsey, states “A closer look at the data shows adoption of mobile and social varies across SMB industry sectors. The LCM data reveals professional and home and trade services are embracing mobile in a big way, with service providers essentially becoming walking POS terminals.”
Steve goes on to point out how mobile and social media are working together to transform small business, “Together, mobile and social tools are transforming the way SMBs acquire and retain customers,” said Marshall. “With the heavy use of social media, SMB marketing is quickly becoming a two-way engagement rather than a one-way promotion.”
As for how small businesses are engaging in social media, BIA/Kelsey’s report found that those that responded say they are ‘responding’ to comments, blogging, Tweeting/Updating social pages and pushing a loyalty program.
Clearly accepting mobile payments is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to utilizing mobile with small businesses as great opportunities exist for virtual displays and other ingenious ways to market products and inform customers. Augmented reality options will soon become the norm in retail rather than hovering out there as the next big thing.
comScore recently released a new report highlighting several key trends in the U.S. smartphone industry that companies considering developing mobile applications should consider.
Apple is ranked as the top smartphone manufacturer with 39% of the market share. Samsung follows in second place with a 23% of the market share, HTC is in third with 8.7%, Motorola follows with 7.8% and LG comes in with 6.7%.
Android continues to led as the top smartphone platform with 52% of the market share. Clearly neither of these platforms can be ignored when it comes to mobile application development.
The most interesting point from the new comScore report is the growth of the U.S. smartphone market itself. 141 million people in the U.S. alone now own smartphones (59% of the market, as of the end of May 2013). This number is up 6% since February 2013 making for some incredible growth numbers.