The State of Search Across Devices

The state of search across devicesThat prize consumer you’re after could Google reviews of your restaurant on his laptop, make reservations from a tablet and then get directions from his smartphone, all within an hour. The trend of searching across multiple devices, by people transitioning from one to the other, is on the rise as users query search providers from nearly any location. Recent Microsoft research found that 16 percent of queries on one search engine were from multidevice users, despite the fact that the percentage of actual users was lower. In other words, those doing the searches are especially engaged, making them more accessible to digital marketers – but also harder to pin down.

It’s not just that we’re seeing people use more devices, but that the types of usage are also evolving. Marketers will have their work cut out as they anticipate changes in how consumers conduct different types of searches. The report points to the example of gaming console users, who can now conduct Web searches directly from consoles and use applications previously found only on other devices.

Knowing When Your Brand Needs A Mobile App

Mobile apps give can give businesses new SEO opportunities.With more consumers spending time on their mobile apps, you may be wondering whether to take advantage of the trend. Many companies create apps to build on their existing communication with consumers via their iPhones, iPads and Androids, provide them with a new service, or broaden their audience.

But brand apps still comprise a small fraction of overall app activity. A few well-functioning mobile channels may already serve your brand just fine.

How Does Mobile Usage Impact In-Store Purchase

Nowadays consumers are using their mobile phones for a variety of activities before, during, and after their in-store shopping experiences. So how does this impact your brick and mortar business? Here are some ways that your potential customers are using mobile which influences their path to purchase and their basket size.

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90% of smartphone shoppers use their phone for pre-shopping and the top 5 things they do are: find location/directions, find hours, make pricing comparisons, find promo offers and find where specific products are sold.

Tip: Make it easy for customers to find your location, directions and hours when they visit your website on mobile.