New research conducted by Google and Nielsen has found that when people use mobiles to search for something they usually intend to buy it.
According to Google, Mobile Search Moments: Understanding How Mobile Drives Conversions, was conducted to understand when and why people turn to mobile search, the actions they take as a result, and how marketers can capitalise on every mobile search moment.
Google says it found that there’s an immediacy effect of mobile search, with more than half of the resulting conversions (going into a store, calling a business, or making a purchase) happening within just one hour.
During the survey, participants were asked to log their mobile searches over two weeks in a diary smartphone app – logging more than 6,000 mobile searches in total. Participants were then followed up and asked what actions resulted from those searches, so as to gain more precise, measurable connections between mobile searches and the conversions that they drive online and offline.
The survey also found that three of four mobile searches trigger additional actions. These range from open-ended actions like additional research (36%) or a website visit (25%), to more concrete conversions like a store visit (17%), a purchase (17%), or a phone call (7%). On average, each mobile search triggers nearly two actions, so in order to understand the full value of mobile, marketers must evaluate the different ways that their customers convert, both online and offline, and measure accordingly.
Most interestingly, not only do mobile searchers take action ‚Äë they act fast. In fact, 55% of conversions from mobile searches happen within one hour. This may be because 45% of mobile searches are conducted to help make a decision, and that number jumps to two-thirds when happening in a store. And when people use mobile search to help make a decision, they’re more likely to convert.
While mobile has traditionally been considered an out-and-about or on-the-go context, used on the bus or while in a store, the research showed that mobile’s role is also much more than that.
The survey found that people turn to mobile devices throughout the day to find information because of its speed and convenience, with 77% of mobile searches happening at home or at work.
The research also showed that the types of searches people conduct on mobile are strongly tied to their specific context, like location and time of day. For instance, shopping searches are twice as likely to be done in-store. Mobile searches made in stores are a key opportunity for marketers to reach someone who’s looking to take action. And since searchers are also 55% more likely to notice ads when they’re in a store, there’s a huge opportunity for marketers to capitalise on these mobile-led moments.
The full survey results can be found here.
