Google began pushing a new
strategy Tuesday to get companies online and in line with mobile Web browsers by providing a series of diagnostic tools and a directory of mobile site developers.
The GoMo (Go Mobile)
initiative aims to help companies "mobilize" sites. The move supports the U.S. mobile advertising market that eMarketer estimates will reach $4.4 billion by 2015, up from $1.23 billion this year. The
research firm suggests that mobile search will see strong growth, with spending on mobile search rising from $185 million in 2010 to nearly $1.8 billion in 2015.
Consumers have become more
aware of browsers as well as video, interactive and text ads. Studies have directly connected higher brand recall to sophisticated mobile Web browsing. A recent eMarketer report points to a Compete
study released in June, citing that 55% of Android smartphone owners and 51% of iPhone owners recalled seeing mobile ads.
Google's goal to grow its mobile ad business from $1 billion in 2010
to about $2.5 billion this year will see the company continue to build out a series of tools for mobile sites. Company marketers that want to see what consumers see can enter a URL address into the
GoMoMeter. The tool will read the specs on the site and provide recommendations on how to make it easier for visitors to use. Google may be pumping up its mobile services, but Apple's Safari continues
to maintain a lead in the mobile browser market, according to Netmarketshare. It's important to note some BlackBerry smartphones do not have full browsers.
It turns out that three in
five devices searching the mobile Web do it on Apple's mobile Web browser. Between December 2010 and October 2011, Safari's share of mobile browsing rose to 62%, up from 49%. Android rose from nearly
12% to 19%, respectively, according to the data firm.
The lag provides an incentive for Google to help companies launch a mobile Web site. But Google is not the only company to build out its
mobile services. Yahoo's Right Media exchange plans to launch features that allow the ability to buy and sell mobile ads for smartphone and tablet browsers on the same platform used today for PC
display advertising.
Targeting will allow advertisers to pick specific operating systems, carrier by country, as well as dayparting and language to support mobile display advertising.
Aside from targeting, the capabilities range from mobile trafficking to reporting to managing creative pieces.