People spend countless hours engaging with their smartphone. Whether making a phone call, playing games, watching videos, listening to music, reading a book, or surfing the web, we have come to rely on these devices. Our phones are quickly accessible from our pocket or purse when we need to look up an answer to any question that might have at that very moment. This has drastically changed consumers buying habits as they research and shop for products both in-store and online.
At Home Research
Until recently, the general belief was that most people used their smartphone mainly during idle wait times—while community to work and school, standing in line at the store, and so on. Those times are gone and the recent research indicates that 68% of mobile phone usage is now occurring in the house (“How People Really Use Mobile,” Harvard Business Review, January 2013, bit.ly/15DZbNM). It is becoming commonplace for people to pull out their smartphone to look up products they see on television during a commercial break, plan vacations while laying in bed, and shop for products or services from the comfort of their couch.
Recent research indicates that 68% of mobile phone usage is now occurring in the house.
In-Store Research
Consumers now come into your store prepared to compare prices and products to those found online. The proliferation of bar code scanner apps for smartphones allow mobile users to be better informed when making an in-store purchasing decision. Most of these apps allow customers to quickly research prices online and compare similar products at the touch of a button. This places more value on in-store promotions, cross-selling opportunities, and customer loyalty to ensure businesses make the sale at the point of decision.
Social Media’s Influence
Social media has also played a role in our smartphone buying habits. Facebook and Twitter are both dominant forces in the mobile arena. Individuals can easily share promotional links or solicit product recommendations from their network of friends. As any decent marketing person will tell you, recommendations from friends and family are the most sought after form of advertising. That is because positive word-of-mouth evangelism leads to a two to three times higher conversation rate for a product or service (“Word of Mouth and Brand Advocates Stats,” Zuberance, 2011, bit.ly/13stjxU).
With smartphone sales outpacing those of any other computer device, smartphones are changing how consumers shop.