Time to turn the corner from m-infomerce to m-commerce

Mobile Web usage continues to increase, as confirmed in the recent German W3B report, “Mobile Commerce,” which found that:

• More than 40% of German Internet users today have smartphones.
• Almost all smartphone owners browse the mobile Web almost every second of the day.

Compare that with three years ago, when only about one in 10 Internet users had a smartphone.

Mobile smartphone surfers prefer to use their smartphones to find out about the latest news and weather. But more and more often, they use their phones to retrieve product and pricing information: 56% of surveyed smartphone owners said they use their phones to stay informed about products via the mobile Web, even one in four regularly.

Nearly half also claim to use their smartphones for information and price comparisons — 10% more men than women.

Many of those who use their smartphones to research products, however, do not take the next step to make a mobile purchase. In the study, 62.4% said they turn to mobile mainly for information retrieval and then do their buying on the stationary Internet or in the classic shop. Only 9% said they would buy in connection to the mobile search and mobile.

The study results suggest that sales activity on the mobile Web is not living up to its great potential. Whoever wants to inspire potential m-commerce customers will have to deliver target-group-oriented offerings.

It’s only a question of time before m-infomerce transforms into m-commerce.

Don’t waste this chance!