Consumers prefer search over branded apps for product research

Consumers prefer using search engine apps over branded ones for discovering new information on products and services via mobile, according to research.

Smartphone

However, while more than half of all mobile users own a smartphone, 60 per cent of consumers still prefer to conduct their online research using a desktop device compared to just 15 per cent who prefer using their mobiles to do so according to a study by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).

A paper published today (11 December) by the DMA Mobile Marketing Council claims that just 37 per cent of consumers use branded apps to research products on their smartphones.

The findings, based on a poll of 1,000 UK consumers, also reveals that 50 per cent of correspondents report “looking for offers and deals” as the top reason for using mobile search on their phones.

Meanwhile, 40 per cent state that they use mobile search to find information on specific brands on their phone while 27 per cent claim they rely on their device to find places to eat.

The findings also reveal that 30 per cent of smartphone users use it to find information on high street retailers, 29 per cent to research local restaurants and hotels, with 26 per cent looking for supermarkets.

Richard Hicks, head of mobile for ITV and member of the DMA’s Mobile Marketing Council, says: “It’s reasonable to expect that the rise of smartphone ownership would lead to the imminent demise of desktop our research suggests this isn’t happening as quickly as anticipated.

“However, smartphones have quickly assumed an important role in the lives of consumers.”

Recommended

Mirror Front Page

Trinity ramps up marketing with senior hires

Lara O'Reilly

Newspaper publisher Trinity Mirror has created two new group-wide senior marketing roles as it accelerates its strategy towards becoming “One Trinity Mirror” following the recent merger of its national and regional divisions.