POSTED BY DAN YOUNG

At the end of 2010, we conducted a study to explore how people use smart phones and how often they use their devices. Approximately 89% of smart phone owners interact with their devices on a daily basis. Recently, Google made public a more detailed study of mobile users that not only was consistent with our results (once in a while, we like to brag), but highlighted how we use our devices to shop.

Now that most of us have a smart phone, we use it regularly to browse the Internet, to search, to use apps and while we shop. Google's data showed that 79% of users use their devices to shop by finding products, comparing prices and features or to locate a retailer, especially local retailers. 95% of mobile users use their device to find local information such as phone numbers, addresses, hours, etc.; one in three searches on a mobile device is local. The study goes into more detail on this trend and draws a compelling conclusion that mobile device usage drives purchasing decisions.

Shopping with a mobile device is the new paradigm. Developing a mobile strategy is a requisite for any consumer products company or retailer. Here are a few quick tips to get you started:

• Have a strong mobile strategy...
  People use their devices all the time; they use them while consuming other media. Allow your mobile strategy to be multi-disciplined. Development good content and deliver it contextually. Pick and choose resources, media and advertisements as they support the strategy.


• Optimize your website for mobile...
  Once your business is found, people will view your site with their mobile browsers. Have your site optimized for iOS, Blackberry and Android devices—and lose Flash.


• Mobile search results...
  Regardless of if you're on the product or retail side, make sure that your product or service gets listed in mobile search results along with contact information (e.g. phone link, email link, etc.).


• Use location-based services...
  If you have retail outlets, make sure that you have them listed correctly in the various local-focused services such as Yelp, FourSquare or Gowalla, Google Places. If you're a consumer products company, encourage your retailers to do so.

People use their devices. They make decisions on what they find while using their devices. You need to ensure that when a potential customer wants to find what you have to offer, you have the proper mobile presence to deliver what they need at the moment they look. When done correctly, you will drive their decision to purchase.