In the first UK Path-to-Purchase study, it was found that UK mobile searchers are committed to the research process leading to a longer purchase decision cycle than those in the US. It also revealed UK mobile users’ emphasis on local relevancy and high purchase intent, with more than half reporting to have ultimately made a purchase.
The survey, commissioned by xAd and Telmetrics is pretty timely. With mobile advertising on the up, it is crucial to understand the UK mobile searcher and also clear that if mobile advertising campaigns are to be successful that they must be tailored to distinct device and category nuances.
What are users looking for?
Price comparisons and reviews are the top two mobile research activities as mobile searchers generally take time to conduct thorough research before making a purchase. However, smartphone users demonstrate more immediate needs than tablets searchers with 22 percent looking to make a purchase within an hour of their search so it’s even more important to understand the different uses of these emerging devices.
“While two-thirds of mobile searchers don’t have a specific brand in mind, they do cite the importance of local relevancy. Advertisers that include local cues such as location info and phone numbers in their ads can positively influence mobile purchase decisions.”
Location is an important influencer for mobile search in the UK as nearly 50 percent of both smartphone and tablet searchers expect search locations to be within walking or driving distance. In fact, location is more important to smartphone users as 58 percent are searching on the go, including nearly 15 percent searching outside and nearly 10 percent searching from public transport. Of smartphone users,
- up to 77 percent look for a business’ location info,
- up to 67 percent look up directions to the business and
- up to 47 percent look for a business’ phone number.
Seeing the needs clearly laid out helps enormously. Are you location maps easily accessible and usable? Is contacting your business over the phone a single click on the visible portion of your site?
Advertising, and it’s place on the mobile platform
Mobile advertisers have an opportunity to influence undecided searchers as only a third of mobile searchers know exactly what they are searching for, providing advertisers considerable opportunity to influence searchers’ ultimate purchase decisions. In the UK, two-thirds of users notice mobile ads with 20 percent resulting in a click. The number one reason driving mobile ad clicks is local relevance – with nearly a third of users preferring ads that are geographically relevant.
“Successful mobile advertising campaigns must be tailored to distinct device and category nuances as a ‘one size fits all’ approach won’t produce the desired results,” said Monica Ho, vice president of marketing, xAd, Inc.
About the research
In February 2013, Nielsen conducted an online survey of more than 1,500 smartphone and tablet users who reported that they had engaged in a Restaurant-, Travel- or Automotive-related mobile activity in the past 30 days. The three categories were chosen as they rank among the top vertical markets projected to show major mobile growth over the next 3 to 5 years.
