Research indicates brands need to target mobile investment carefully to ensure effective performance marketing through mobile

Research indicates brands need to target mobile investment carefully to ensure effective performance marketing through mobile

A new study of consumer behaviour when using mobile devices to shop has found their path to purchase is influenced by specific devices and operating systems.

For example, Android owners are far more likely to research purchases on the mobile browser, 19% versus 9% who use apps, according to the survey of more than 2,000 smartphone users in Germany, Sweden, France and the UK.

By contrast, the Mobile Devices & Behaviour research report published this week by digital affiliate marketing and technology provider Tradedoubler found 75% of iPhone owners surveyed use apps daily and 28% search for vouchers and coupons at least once a week.

A further 25% search for vouchers instore and 22% receive location-based special offers; 21% used price comparison apps and 23% have daily deals installed on their iPhones, while 20% use the device as a loyalty card.

Making sense of mobile maze

“Our research shows that shoppers’ paths to purchase on mobile can resemble a maze,” said Dan Cohen, Tradedoubler market unit leader. “So understanding how different mobile devices and operating systems influence and drive consumer behaviour – from the initial research through to the point of purchase – is vital.

“For example, unlike experienced iPhone users, many Android owners are experiencing a smartphone for the first time,” he added. “However, given the platform’s growing share, it will become increasingly important to engage Android owners effectively.”

BlackBerry owners also emerged as an affluent and time-poor group second only to iPhone owners in regularly researching products (31% at least weekly), hunting down coupons and purchasing weekly or more often using their handsets (13%).

Android owners were the second most likely group to describe mobile purchasing as a frustrating experience and they also lagged behind when it comes to engaging with their device for mobile commerce, with only 10% purchasing weekly, making them currently the least important target.

Tablet devices increase conversions

The report concluded rapid consumer tablet adoption growth added complexity, but also opportunity to the m-commerce landscape. Nearly a quarter (23%)e of smartphone owners already owned a tablet and an additional 36% planned to acquire one within the next year.

Tablet owners were also more likely to convert research on their device into a purchase, with 35% saying it was a preferred means of purchasing products. They were significantly more likely to buy higher ticket items, with nearly one in five (18%) having spent more than £500 in one transaction.

Cohen said: “The varying patterns of behaviour across different devices revealed by our research leave marketers with two options when it comes to developing a mobile strategy for performance marketing: target solutions at the groups who are most engaged with shopping on their devices, or develop a strategy that can work across devices and channels by side-stepping the limitations and frustrations of certain platforms.

“We believe that by targeting investment carefully, brands and retailers may be able to achieve both,” he advised.