A recent survey on mobile web search behavior was conducted by iAcquire in conjunction with SurveyMonkey.  As mobile devices are quickly becoming permanent fixtures in the daily lives of people, the study aims to provide insight on how users are using their mobile devices to search the mobile web.

Internet users thirst for information has quickly manifested itself into the mobile realm. It’s a widely known fact that mobile web users are mostly on the go and are more motivated to do something instantly compared to desktop internet users who are more likely to be sitting behind a desk when browsing online.  An interesting fact to note is that 70% of mobile searches will lead users to act on a purchasing decision within the hour.

In regards to demographics young adults between the ages of 18-29 comprise the predominant group of users performing mobile searches on a daily basis at a total of 45%. This younger more tech savvy demographic are more likely to abandon a site if it’s not mobile optimized.   In fact according to the report, 40% of all people surveyed will abandon a site that is not mobile friendly.

The study also revealed the type of devices people are using to conduct mobile searches.

The study shows that 60% of respondents said they use their smartphone when searching the mobile web.  In comparison 40% of people surveyed are using their tablets to conduct searches. This data should come as no surprise to business owners and should help educate the importance of how a mobile optimized site will benefit their business.

One thing’s for certain when analyzing the results of this survey, mobile web searches are increasing in popularity on all devices. People from all walks of life are relying on their mobile devices more than ever before to find local business and make purchasing decisions using the mobile web.

This survey is the second installment to a three-part study conducted by iAcquire together with SurveyMonkey.   Results from the survey and more information can be found at this link:

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Running at second for 17 months now is Google’s Android browser at 21.86% market share. This is not a promising figure considering Android’s advantage in smartphone sales worldwide. Trailing behind them is Opera Mini with 8.4% and Google Chrome and Microsoft’ Internet Explorer at 2.43% and 1.99% respectively occupy the 4th and 5th place.

Safari has a huge lead with more than triple the next competitor. Experts predict that the lead is likely to continue for at least the remainder of the year.

Many observers are curious why Safari still manages to generate more traffic than Android even with the latter’s greater share of the smartphone market.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster offers three probable reasons:

“First, iOS continues to lead as the most popular smartphone platform in the U.S. to date. Second, iOS users are engaging more frequently with their mobile devices, doing so on a daily basis than a normal Android user does on average. Third, a large number of mobile web users are surfing the internet on the iPad (still considered a mobile device), and this could be the reasons why Safari continues to dominate mobile web browser usage”.

Details of NetApplications. mobile web browser report are posted on the company’s website. The collected data comes from 160 million visits to over 40,000 websites per month and includes traffic from both smartphones and tablets.

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Holidays are always celebrated with exchanges of gifts among family, friends and associates making it a very lucrative time for local businesses right across the globe to see increased sales.

With new smartphones and tablets arriving for the holiday rush, consumer spending on mobile is set to explode this holiday season.  Not only will consumers be buying in hordes the latest smartphone devices but according to Javelin Study and Research, consumers have now spent $20.7 billion shopping directly from their mobile devices.

With people all over the world grabbing up the latest smartphones for the holidays it’s more important than ever to ensure your clients websites are mobile optimized. Holiday shoppers will be using their smartphones for product information, in store price comparisons, mobile coupons and scanning in-store and in-advertisement QR codes. However based on a study by SMB DigitalScape, small and medium sized business owners are still lagging far behind their big box store counterparts when it comes to having their mobile websites optimized and having an effective mobile marketing strategy.

Earlier this year, Google commissioned a study and found that three-quarters of visitors are willing to return to a mobile friendly website while 79% of people would leave and go to another similar site if the website is difficult to use and navigate on a mobile device.

Explaining to your clients the importance of a premium mobile website  has never been more important. Having a mobile website at the core of any mobile marketing strategy will help your clients understand the fact that they may be losing business by not properly engaging their mobile audience.

If you’re an offline marketer, local business consultant, SEO agency or web design firm not currently offering mobile marketing services to your clients then now is the time to get started just in time for the holiday rush.

Creating a complete mobile marketing campaign starting with a premium mobile websites for your clients has never been easier with the brick&mobile industry leading Mobile CMS. Create and update your mobile sites in real time with advanced modules such as tap-to-map, tap-to-call, menus, social media, reviews, reporting and more.

With the holiday season just around the corner it’s never been a better time to join the mobile revolution!

Click here to learn more about why every small business needs a mobile optimized web site for the holidays.

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So, the question is, where does your business go from here, and should you offer your clients mobile websites or native apps?

If you’re planning to establish a mobile presence for your clients business to reach the widest possible audience, a mobile website is the best way to go.   Mobile website users can instantly access content through a mobile web browser across a range of mobile devices. Updating your content and design is easy because changes are immediately visible. Mobile websites are also quick to find in mobile search results and through industry specific directories, not to mention anyone who is trying to access your clients site directly via URL will get redirected to the mobile website. The mobile website’s URL can be shared via a simple link or text message so anyone with a smartphone is free to access the page any time.

Investing in a mobile website is much less expensive and less time consuming than developing a native app that requires multiple versions for different platforms. Having a mobile website provides a better value proposition for local business owners as consumers are not searching the app store for local business, they are searching using the mobile web or linking to a business’s website from one of the many social networks.

The cost of building an app is high due to on-going upgrades and development.  Pricing for a mobile website is much more affordable so you get an optimal return on investment over time.

With the huge amount of apps competing for user’s attention, the likelihood of being discovered by users and getting downloaded is quite remote. This unfortunate fact is backed by studies made by Adeven when they measured the statistics on apps download.

If you’re still not convinced over the issue of which option is better, think again and read Adeven’s report on why 60% of apps never get downloaded.

The post Mobile Websites vs Apps for Local Business appeared first on brick&mobile.

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Sept. 5, 2012) -

Editors Note: There is an image associated with this press release.

brick&mobile, a global leader in mobile marketing reseller solutions, announces its White Label Mobile CMS; a complete turnkey and private labeled mobile website builder designed for entrepreneurs, local agencies and corporate enterprises looking to quickly and cost-effectively offer premium mobile websites under their own brand.

With Google, Apple and Microsoft all intensely battling for the smartphone space, the fight between mobile marketers has also hit the streets. Every day as local marketing budgets continue to shift to mobile, traditional agencies and marketing firms are struggling to respond to the increased demand for mobile marketing services. A recent study estimates that mobile search will generate 27.8 billion more queries than desktop search by 2016 (Source: BIA/Kelsey, 2012), making it increasingly important for all local businesses to adopt a mobile web strategy.

“Mobile websites help complement existing digital media services and other forms of traditional marketing such as print, outdoor, television and radio,” says Kevin Zicherman, President & CEO of brick&mobile. “Companies who begin to offer mobile web solutions can broaden their client base significantly without building a platform from scratch. Our White Label Mobile CMS is the ultimate custom-branded solution for any company looking to quickly break into the mobile marketing space.”

Built using the latest HTML5 and jQuery Mobile technologies, brick&mobile’s premium mobile websites are compatible with all current mobile devices including iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and tablets. While traditional mobile “apps” are an option for local businesses, they fall short in many ways when it comes to what works best for a local mobile strategy.

“For many local business owners, mobile apps provide more hype than results,” says Zicherman, pointing to the fact that apps only work on certain phones, offer little mobile SEO value, require a download, and in some cases, App Store approval. “The fact is that business owners don’t know what mobile technology they need, they just want to generate more business. Mobile websites provide the greatest and most immediate return on investment with measurable advantages over traditional advertising.” Zicherman goes on to say, “Having a mobile optimized website is no longer an option, as millions of consumers use their mobile phones each day to search Google+ Local for neighborhood products and services. An app won’t help you there.”

The thriving demand and associated benefits of mobile optimized websites span far beyond the local level. Corporate enterprises looking for a powerful mobile marketing solution can also utilize brick&mobile’s White Label Mobile CMS to provide an easy-to-use tool for internal staff to manage otherwise complex mobile projects.

“By leveraging our platform and technological experience, our partners are saving thousands in development costs and empowering their businesses to effectively manage their own mobile campaigns with ease,” says Elan Zusman, Director of Operations at brick&mobile. “Advanced mobile friendly content modules can be easily updated in real-time, making it simple to create world-class multi-language mobile websites with no coding required.”

All White Label Mobile CMS platforms include secure SSL hosting, platform updates, professional training, access to a wide range videos and custom-branded support materials, all backed by brick&mobile’s team of dedicated mobile marketing professionals.

To find out more about brick&mobile’s White Label Mobile CMS and to register for an upcoming webinar, visit: http://www.brickandmobile.com/white-label-webinar/.

For smaller resellers looking to make money selling mobile websites, brick&mobile also offers an affordable entry point with full video training and customizable marketing materials included. Sign up for a FREE trial at http://www.brickandmobile.com/signup/.

ABOUT BRICK&MOBILE

brick&mobile specializes in providing the most robust, full-service mobile marketing reseller and white label programs available today. Powering thousands of premium mobile website resellers around the world, brick&mobile’s proven Mobile CMS delivers cost-effective, great-looking mobile websites that are easy to use and a cinch to update. By integrating a complete suite of turnkey services such as text message marketing, QR codes and advanced location analytics reporting, brick&mobile is the only mobile reseller partner you need.

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Visit brickandmobile.com and start your mobile marketing business today.

All trademarks and copyrights are property of their respective owners.

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One study, done by Prosper Mobile Insights in the United States, determined an important difference between men and women’s mobile browsing behavior. Apparently, men were more inclined to exclusively use their mobile internet for mobile banking and Instant Messaging while women restricted their smartphone and tablet usage to social networking or email.

However, this stark difference between the sexes in terms of mobile browsing doesn’t mean that their behavior towards mobile advertising is different as well. According to eMarketer.com: “Smartphone and tablet owners of both genders reported that seeing a mobile ad on a relevant topic was the factor most likely to get them to pay more attention to the ad.”

Slight differences however were recognized by the study as well. It was found out that women were more likely to ignore banner ads, pop-up ads and video ads but were more like to pay attention to ads that seem humorous.  On the other hand, men were more likely to take a look at an ad if they were exposed to less number of ads.

With the number of US smartphone users expected to grow to a whopping 116 million and tablet users expected to be around 55 million by the end of the year, these kinds of insights will be very useful for mobile advertisers in the US who are projected to spend around $2.3 billion this year.

You can visit eMarketer.com for more details on the study and the figures mentioned in this article.

The post Men vs Women – Mobile Advertising Behaviour Trends appeared first on brick&mobile.

The results are very interesting as we’re seeing huge growth from small businesses who are starting to focus their advertising budgets on mobile marketing.

From mobile optimized websites, QR codes, SMS text marketing and mobile coupons, are your local businesses taking advantage of mobile marketing?

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Click here to view the original post.

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The 5 core questions The Mobile Playbook examines are:

01. How does mobile change our value proposition?
02. How does mobile impact our digital destinations?
03. Is our organization adapting to mobile?
04. How should our marketing adapt to mobile?
05. How can we connect with our tablet audience?

Within the presentation Google has included some very interesting statistics that we at brick&mobile feel will only increase the value of what our resellers can provide to their clients.

95% of smartphone users have searched for local info
61% Called a business after searching
59% visited in person
90% of these users acted within 24 hours

Mobile customers use store locators 63 times for every one mobile commerce order (making these locators a valuable addition to almost any mobile-enabled website).

Nissan, meanwhile, emblazons vehicle price stickers with QR codes, “silent salespeople” that let shoppers within the lot find key information like features, options, video overviews, image galleries, incentive offers, dealer inventories and actual quotes.

We encourage you to take the time to read The Mobile Playbook in full which you can find at the following link below:

Read The Mobile Playbook here:

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The Restaurant Science’s study only confirms what we’ve been saying for a long time:

The restaurant industry is what we like to call “low hanging fruit” in regards to being the perfect market to target for mobile marketing solutions.  A restaurant that properly exposes itself to their mobile audience will see great ROI on their marketing and advertising dollars which will help build customer loyalty and increase overall revenue.

The restaurant industry as a whole has been a slow adapter to utilizing the power of the internet and has been notorious for opting for full Flash websites with intros, animations and sometimes music.

Restaurant owners have dished out thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars over the past 10 years for fancy Flash desktop websites and many aren’t really interested in investing more money into their online presence.

We as mobile marketers and SEO experts understand the foolishness in this approach however the reality on the ground is many restaurant owners are perfectly happy with their Flash website but would love a way to easily accommodate their growing mobile audience as well.

This is what brick&mobile does best. Features such as food menus, tap-to-call, tap-to-map and other cutting edge modules make our Mobile CMS platform the perfect compliment for solving mobile marketing constraints for restaurants around the world.

Our mobile redirect script even makes it possible for those “Flash Fanatics” to keep their existing Flash website but also cater to their mobile audience.

Learn more about our industry leading Mobile CMS reseller programs and how it can help you sell mobile marketing services to restaurants and other businesses in your area.

See for yourself how our mobile marketing tools can be used to help you provide mobile marketing services to your restaurant clients.

The post Study: 95% of Independent Restaurants Don’t Have Mobile Sites appeared first on brick&mobile.

To summarize, the report in Nielsen’s words:  “Good mobile user experience requires a different design than what’s needed to satisfy desktop users. Two designs, two sites, and cross-linking to make it all work.”

We completely agree with Jakob’s premise that a single site cannot serve the wants and needs of both mobile and desktop users. Yes, there are sites that go against this paradigm, but for every one of those sites, there are dozens of sites that follow his philosophy. This is especially true of sites transacting millions of dollars on mobile devices (just look at most travel and retail eCommere sites). Why is this? The reason is multi-fold:

First, they are simpler to develop and maintain (yes, segregating mobile from desktop is actually easier and cheaper to maintain – this is true because test cycles are shorter and changes/enhancements are easier).

Second, they are faster (mostly because servers can concentrate on delivering mobile content as opposed to deciphering and segregating content at runtime. People who advocate CSS to make content mobile friendly have obviously never developed large enterprise mobile sites) – for the record, we have developed large enterprise mobile (custom) sites and there are about a thousand smaller mobile sites successfully running on our Mobile CMS platform.

Third, most users prefer the easy-to-navigate mobile sites (yes there are a few users to actually prefer to pinch and zoom on their larger-format Android devices – for these users, mobile sites usually simply have a “switch to desktop” link)

We highly recommend that you take the time to read Nielsen’s findings in full which can be found here:  Mobile Site vs Full Site – Jakob Nielsen

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