More than 17 million use mobile devices to find local businesses
Published July 30, 2010
The mobile platform is becoming increasingly important to local businesses' digital marketing campaigns. A recent Yellow Pages Association report indicates that consumers are using their mobile phones significantly more often to find nearby locations.
More than 17.3 million mobile subscribers accessed business directories from their handsets in March 2010, up more than 14 percent from last year during the same period. More than 5 million consumers look at mobile business listings at least once on a weekly basis. According to the report, mobile consumers are particularly attractive to businesses, with 58 percent younger than the age of 34 and more than half making in excess of $75,000 annually.
"Mobile offers significant opportunity, both for consumers who need convenient and reliable sources of local information on the go, and also for local search providers that are making this content available in new and innovative ways," said Neg Norton, president of the Yellow Pages Association.
While mobile search grew in the double digits, the Yellow Pages found that searches from computers were up only 4 percent. Still, more than 444 million used home computers to conduct searches.
As Search Engine Land notes, the study highlights the importance of multichannel marketing campaigns. Businesses are able maximize exposure by ensuring they are listed on multiple platforms, giving them most bang for their marketing bucks.