52 percent of millennials make purchases on their phone: 5 reasons to be there when they call

Here are five ways to think bigger about mobile:

1.   We’re in intimate relationships with our phones

If you’re wondering if phone addiction is real, consider that people reach for their phones an average of 150 times per day – that’s nine times every waking hour. We are making phone calls, thumbing text messages, snapping pictures, and searching for businesses. The list goes on and on. Our daily lives and routines are now supported by our phones.

Think about what this means for today’s customer and their journey. According to Google, 91% of smartphone users turn to their phones for ideas in the middle of a task. On the flip side, consumers are also using their phones to get in contact with businesses and to make purchases. In fact, according to research by Invoca, 52% of millennials make purchases on their phone at least a few times a month.

Whether we want to do research, be inspired, or take immediate action, we turn to our phones. These are the moments marketers must anticipate and be present for, because mobile isn’t just one point in the journey. It permeates the entire path to purchase.

2. Mobile is personal

Mobile customers have come to expect a lot of personalization when they they interact with a brand. Marketers can now serve targeted ads and messages based on the time, location, previous engagement, and a myriad of other demographic and personal factors.

But marketers need to go further than digital interactions. With click-to-call capabilities, marketers can give mobile audiences a way to connect with a live representative immediately. Consumers can conduct a quick mobile search, tap a click to call button, and instantly get their questions answered. What could be more personal?

Personalized marketing opportunities for mobile don’t end there. Marketers can also use offline sources of information to deliver a personal experience online and off. With conversation analytics, marketers can learn about their customers’ preferences, interests, and other psychographic information. They can apply these insights to their ad targeting, landing pages, and much more.

3. Mobile connects our online and offline worlds

Mobile goes beyond digital. Its native function is making phone calls. The second most frequent activity on a mobile phone isn’t searching for information, it’s making a phone call. (Second only to text messaging.)

Marketers can’t afford to have digital tunnel vision and classify mobile as just an online channel. BIA/Kelsey predicts that calls to businesses from smartphones will reach 162 billion by 2019, and our research indicates that more than half will be the result of mobile marketing.

4. Mobile makes life easy

Brands have the opportunity to tap into the convenience that mobile affords users. Google reports that 58% of smartphone users are more likely to buy from companies whose mobile sites or apps allow them to purchase quickly. Likewise, 69% of smartphone users are more likely to buy from companies whose mobile sites or apps help them easily find answers to their questions.

Today’s mobile consumers expect convenience and that means providing fast and useful information, being present across channels, offering easy ways to connect, and making the experience seamless.

5. Mobile is action packed

Nine out of ten mobile users have taken an action as the result of a mobile search according to Google. Mobile users are on the go, looking for quick answers so they can move on with their day. Mobile users have an instant connection that is direct, personal and efficient. Whether they’re texting, emailing, or making a phone call, mobile can make these interactions easy and direct.

Marketers can’t continue to simply shrink the desktop experience to fit mobile screens. Filling out a form or going through a multi-step checkout process doesn’t make sense on mobile. We need to start thinking about actions that make sense for mobile users. That’s one reason marketers increasingly embrace click-to-call in their ads and landing pages.

Mobile is still a huge opportunity with untapped potential. To learn more about call intelligence and how it can boost your mobile search marketing, download a copy of the eBook, Paid Search for the Mobile Era.