Google To Concentrate On Mobile Devices In 2010

The number of people using the Internet on their mobile device will more than double to reach one billion by 2013. Meanwhile, the number of mobile applications or “apps” available on Google’s mobile platform, Android, has risen sharply from 10,000 in September 2009 to a little under 20,000 in December 2009.

Where does Google go from here? Right in our pockets, it appears. The release of the Nexus Phone made a splash, but Google is concentrating on the red meat of advertising and search to really make its mark in 2010, especially on mobile devices.

In 2009, Google saw mobile search increase 5 fold. The advertising that goes along with mobile search is even more specialized for customers. According to Senior Vice President of Project Management for Google, Jonathan Rosenberg.

“The new formats, the targeting tools and the reporting we are giving to advertisers (are) making a difference. Click to call, letting advertisers target specific high-end devices or carriers (we are) seeing improved monetization across mobile.”

This goes along with the trend Google has shown in strengthening its geo-specific local search results and the goal of getting answers to search result question to the user quicker. The feature is especially appealing to marketers as more consumers are using their phones to research the pricing on a possible item before buying.

App Usage To Soar In 2010

 

Mobile app investment should grow significantly this year, according to a report from DM2PRO and Quattro Wireless. Spending on social apps, however, will stagnate even though more marketers have already developed the applications.

Fewer than one-half of marketers created either a mobile or social app in 2009, but most plan to invest in a mobile app this year. The iPhone is the platform of choice, followed by Android.

Among those marketers who already had an app in 2009, however, Facebook was the leading platform.

Engagement was the top reason to choose either mobile or social as an app platform, but social sites were perceived as better for many top goals, including engagement, audience targeting, sharing and branding potential, and reach. Mobile scored higher on creative control and persistence.

The top one-third of advertisers and agencies using mobile apps planned to up their investments by 75% or more. Marketers who used apps reported a growing market, client demand and increased standardization in the app world as reasons to spend more in the coming months.

Those same reasons would spur publishers and marketers to develop mobile applications. They were also interested in better tools, distribution and discoverability.

Those factors will only increase in importance as apps continue to proliferate and marketers and other developers attempt to stand out from the competition. According to DM2PRO and Quattro, 15% of advertisers and agencies spent more than 60% of their app budgets on promotion in 2009, but more than one-third spent less than 5%. Promotional budgets will need to increase along with overall investment for apps to find their way to users.

The Importance Of Mobile ‘Apps’ For Your Business

The number of people using the Internet on their mobile device will more than double to reach one billion by 2013. Meanwhile, the number of mobile applications or “apps” available on Google’s mobile platform, Android, has risen sharply from 10,000 in September 2009 to a little under 20,000 in December 2009.

While currently the main uses of this technology revolve around our personal lives, (for activities such as social networking, listening to music and downloading entertaining apps), the predicted increase in the popularity of the mobile Internet and mobile apps is set to filter into the way we run our businesses and interact with customers. To help companies get to grips with this emerging trend here is some advice from T-Mobile on using apps to benefit your organisation.

How can using Apps help my business?
Apps offer great potential to market your business, network, boost customer service and improve the way staff work on the move and communicate with one another. There are many apps already available which can be of use to small businesses. Here are a few examples:

– Note everything lets you make written, audio or visual notes, setting reminders and prioritise important tasks.
– Dedicated business networking sites such as LinkedIn have also developed their own apps to allow easy access to updates on the site for busy professionals.
– Dow Jones has launched an app for sales people which provides up-to-the-minute intelligence about business changes such as management moves and new investments to help sales professionals improve their knowledge of prospects and customers.
– T-Mobile’s free shareAnywhere app helps businesses share information about products and services with customers and colleagues wherever they are. You can use it to automatically compress image files into (read more)