40% Of UK Mobile Searchers Decide To Purchase Within The Day

I read recently that in the UK, price comparisons and reviews are the two most common mobile research activities performed on smart devices.

This suggests that local consumers need time to research before deciding whether to make a purchase. Overall, UK consumers have a strong purchase intent, but they are less likely to buy immediately than their US counterparts, results from Nielsen’s first Path-to-Purchase research study show.

The findings, published by mobile location-based advertising network xAd and mobile call measurement provider Telmetrics, reveal that two in five UK consumers are likely to make a purchase within the day and it takes up to a month for 35% of mobile searchers to decide whether to buy.

According to the survey among 1,500 UK smartphone and tablet owners, over half of mobile device users make an immediate purchase after doing their research on the product.

When researching a product, most consumers do not have a particular brand in mind, which highlights the importance of local relevancy, Telmetrics’ president Bill Dinan comments. Ads that feature location info and phone numbers are the most likely to impact consumers’ decisions and lead to a purchase, he said.

Location is particularly influential with searches related to mobile auto and restaurant categories. Among smartphone owners, searching for a business’ location info is a popular activity with up to 77% of consumers. Another 67% regularly check directions to a business and 47% look for the company’s phone number.

Just 34% of mobile users have a clear idea of what they are actually looking for, giving brands a great opportunity to impact their behaviour and purchase intent.