Last year we took a look at what we thought would be big in 2011 and mobile was one of our predictions. In this post we’ll take a look at how mobile did in 2011 and where it might head in 2012.
If we look at the data from November 2011 we can see that mobile search represented 15% of total search for popular Christmas items in the UK. With as much as 44% of total last minute gift searches coming from mobiles.
When it comes to local information and specifically maps usage, Google’s Marisa Myers predicted that by June this year mobile would have surpassed desktop usage with over 50% of people accessing map information via mobile devices. In addition 24% of UK consumers are using mobiles for in store comparison.
Worldwide mobile search usage has increased five fold in the past two years with “40% of all Google searches in India conducted using mobile phones”, according to Google India managing director Rajan Anandan, with “67% of e-commerce happening on mobile devices” while in Australia between 5–10% of iPhone owners log into eBay’s mobile app daily.
Over the weekend I went Christmas shopping and while in town I searched for a product online that I had found in a shop, I wanted to check the prices and see if there was enough time to get it delivered from a cheaper online store, there wasn’t so I bought it in the physical store. Imagine a situation where the website I had visited recognised I was browsing using a mobile, recognised it was the weekend before Christmas and had offered a discount on fast track delivery. Had they done this I would have likely bought from them.
It is clear from all this data that mobile usage has grown rapidly in the last few years and looks set to continue to do so in the future. Mobile should be a core part of your digital strategy moving into 2012, especially if any element of your service could be described as local.
Matt on 
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