Research company Compete has released the results of its first-quarter 2010 Smartphone Intelligence Survey, which studies how consumers are using iPhones, BlackBerrys, Android devices, and other smartphones:
The survey found consumers increasingly rely on their mobile phones to search for retailers. Nearly one in three smartphone owners has called or stopped into a local business after finding it using a local search application, according to the results of the survey. In Q1 alone, close to a third of Android and iPhone owners discovered at least two new businesses that they were not previously aware of as a result of using local search applications.“With the increasing popularity of local search, retailers should ensure their sites are optimized for mobile browsers,” said Compete’s director of technology and entertainment Danielle Nohe. “Making it easy for consumers to discover businesses via their devices opens local companies up to a whole new customer demographic, and savvy businesses should make sure they’re maximizing this opportunity.”
The key result: consumers are now turning to their phones to discover local businesses. Businesses must shift their marketing strategy to accomodate the growing mobile landscape, or risk being left behind.
