Report sheds light on the evolution of the Internet and mobile commerce
comScore, a leading Internet analytics company, has released the latest edition of its annual report detailing emerging Internet Trends. The 2013 U.S. Digital Future in Focus report sheds light on how the Internet is changing and how these changes are affecting the way it is used by consumers. Notably, the Internet is becoming more mobile, due to the widespread proliferation of smartphones and tablets, as well as the expanding availability of high-speed mobile networks that facilitate a constant connection to the Internet. Mobile commerce is also featured in the new report.
Consumers beginning to favor mobile search
According to comScore, consumer search behavior is changing. General purpose search engine queries declined by 3% from 2011 to 2012, with the number of consumers moving toward vertical search sites and mobile search applications growing. Consumers are becoming more direct with their searches, as well, focusing on things that are more specific to their interests, such as finding restaurants that serve a particular type of food rather than just restaurants in general.
Mobile everything is becoming more important
The report shows that the mobile Internet is becoming more important. Smartphones now outnumber feature phones for the first time in the history of mobile technology. Digital media is beginning to migrate away from favoring desktop computers to catering to the needs of mobile consumers. Online companies are beginning to address the demands of mobile consumers by providing them with mobile commerce services, engaging them in mobile marketing campaigns, and providing them access to new applications that make it easier to find the products and information they are interested in.
Mobile commerce adoption is accelerating
The report highlights the growing interest consumers are showing in mobile commerce as well. The concept of mobile commerce has proven attractive for many because of the convenience it conveys. comScore notes that the adoption of mobile commerce is accelerating and may soon come to dominate the mobile space. The report also suggests that mobile commerce will have a profound impact on traditional brick-and-mortar stores in the future as consumers begin to favor online shopping.
Mobile commerce begins to reshape the retail industry
When mobile commerce first began showing promise in the mid 2000’s, retailers were very leery of the concept and all but shunned its existence. Much of the retail industry has been slow to warm to the notion of mobile commerce, only paying it serious attention as recently as 2010. Now, however, it has become a difficult task to find a retailer that does not support mobile commerce in some way, and this once shunned phenomenon is beginning to revolutionize the entire industry.
conScore sees major potential in smart phones
There are a vast multitude of market research studies that show that mobile technology has come to play a dominant role in the lives of consumers, especially where shopping is involved. According to comScore, a leading market research firm, smart phones are becoming the medium of choice when it comes to mobile technology, with such devices account for 63% of all mobile devices owned by consumers. These consumers are becoming increasingly interested in using their smart phones to purchase products.
Amazon establishes leadership in mobile commerce due to early adoption
Companies that adopted a strong focus on the mobile space early on have become very powerful in the realm of mobile commerce today. Amazon, for instance, is currently one of the leading powers in the mobile commerce and e-commerce worlds. Amazon’s site registers more than 5 million unique visits every day, the majority of which are also tied to purchases made from a mobile device. comScore notes that mobile search has also come to play a major role in the evolution of the retail industry and its reach to consumers, especially as more people use their mobile devices to browse the Internet.
Mobile devices represent promising opportunities for retailers
According to comScore, an average of 5.7 million smart phone users made online purchases between May and July of 2012. Approximately 13% of these consumers made purchases greater than $250, while the major spent well more than $40 on products they were interested in. eBay is another company that has seen the evolution of the retail industry through mobile commerce, claiming that mobile devices are the equivalent to consumers carrying an entire department store with them wherever they go. According to eBay, these consumers check their mobile devices approximately 40 times a day, giving retailers 40 unique opportunities to engage these consumers on a daily basis.
