With analysts suggesting mobile internet usage will outstrip desktop surfing at some point next year, it is becoming increasingly important that businesses are aware of the impact a mobile presence can have.
Indeed, a new infographic from the Infographic Design Team has presented the findings from Econsultancy’s latest Digital Trends Briefing, which showed mobile is considered to be the most exciting opportunity for B2C marketers in 2014.
Furthermore, four-fifths of respondents said they believe their current mobile efforts do or will provide return on investment (ROI). With 98 per cent of firms planning to maintain or boost their marketing spend this year, this is only likely to increase in the near future.
Around two-thirds of those polled said they have a strong appetite for digital experimentation over the coming months, so we may well see an increase in the number of firms developing their own mobile apps – the current figure stands at 47 per cent.
At the moment, less than one-third (30 per cent) of companies are using location-based functionality and this could be set to increase in the future, particularly as local search is becoming more and more important to consumers. It is estimated 97 per cent of people search for local businesses online, while 88 per cent of those go on to call or visit within the next 24 hours.
The report also showed email is considered to be at the core of business for 68 per cent of marketeers, with just under half (49 per cent) of this group indicating they send in excess of 500,000 emails per year.
Despite this, more than two-fifths (42 per cent) admitted they rarely, if ever, utilise responsive design and this is perhaps one of the reasons 58 per cent of respondents said they have pinpointed email marketing as an area in which they will increase spending this year.
Social media is another key area for increased investment and 57 per cent of companies plan to boost the amount of their budget allocated to it in 2014. According to 86 per cent of marketeers, effectively utilising sites such as Twitter and Facebook provides ROI and 57 per cent have a team dedicated to handling these efforts.