Small Screens Signal Big Opportunity for Businesses

Posted by: on August 21

An inherent difference between mobile and PC environments is that mobile advertisers are assured that an extremely high percentage of mobile users who conduct Internet searches intend to immediately act on the information they find. This means that small-business advertisers who look to the mobile phone in order to reach their target audiences will connect consumers with business information at a decisive moment. Surely small businesses are taking advantage of this, right?

Not quite yet.

A recent study conducted by Harris Interactive and Ingenio found that only a minority of cell-phone owners (30%) can recall seeing or hearing an advertisement on their mobile phone in the past year. With less than one-half of users interacting with mobile advertising at all, does the cell phone still offer a high rate of return for small businesses to generate new customers?

The answer is a resounding yes. The survey also revealed that more than 57% of mobile users use their phones to call local businesses or restaurant listings, putting small businesses in a unique position to capitalize on the "right place at the right time" nature of mobile advertising. With this knowledge, it makes sense to ensure that your business is taking advantage of this huge opportunity to connect with your customers at just the right time.

So, where should you start? A good place is with online advertising vehicles designed to be cost-effective and take advantage of the very nature of the mobile phone, such as a pay-per-call campaign.

Marc Barach
Chief Marketing Officer
Ingenio
San Francisco