• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, November 6, 2013

According to new U.S. data from Millward Brown Digital, highlighting the importance of mobile touchpoints, 40% of mobile consumers who are in the market for a new product use their smartphones and/or tablets to research their purchases. The report says that It’s not just retail show-rooming, as 60% of mobile consumers conduct research via mobile in their home. Retailers should anticipate an average of six visits from prospective consumers to their mobile sites during their purchase path, 50% more than PC-based consumers.

Stephen DiMarco, Chief Marketing Officer at Millward Brown Digital, says “… mobile is simultaneously a top-priority and a blind spot for virtually everyone in the marketing ecosystem…”

Consumers who use mobile devices to research purchases visit retailer sites more frequently than those who use PCs alone. According to the research, mobile visitors engage with top retailers twice as often as PC visitors (on average, 6.2 times per month vs. 2.9 times per month). For brands looking to master mobile purchase opportunities this means they have twice as many opportunities to convert individuals, or lose them to a more effective rival, on a mobile device, says the report.

Frequency of Consumer Visits to Retail Sites During Their Path to Purchase
Method of Visit	Frequency to Purchase
Mobile
Online only	8.7 times
Multi-channel	4.2
PC
Online only	4.5
Multi-channel	1.5
Source: MillwardBrown Digital, October 2013

Mobile shoppers interact with more touchpoints more intensively when shopping, concludes the report. Smartphone users, and to a lesser degree consumers using tablets, engage with search engines and social media sites more than pure PC users. The use of social sites during the shopping process reveals the inextricable link between mobile and social usage, and the need for marketers to approach planning in an integrated manner.

Touchpoints Used on Path To Purchase (Approximate % of Consumers)
	Device Used
Touchpoint Site Type	Smartphone	Tablet	PC
Search engines	44%	27%	17%
Retail	39	21	19
Social	24	12	3
Coupon	24	8	9
Brand	18	10	7
Video	14	7	1
Consumer reviews	13	10	6
Source: MillwardBrown Digital, October 201

 Mobile tablet users who are shopping for a new product are nearly twice as likely to go online from homes, while smartphone users are likely to turn to their devices while they are in a retail environment and/or while they have downtime, reinforcing the need for different mobile strategies. Differing mobile usage behaviors show that context is more important than a one-size-fits-all strategy, says the report.

Locations From Which Consumers Use Mobile Devices to Access Internet (% of Users by Device)
	Device
Location Used	Smartphone	Tablet
At home	36%	68%
In a store	15	4
Waiting	14	5
Commuting	6	13
Restaurant/coffee shop	10	5
Out of town	8	9
Other	5	2
Source: MillwardBrown Digital, October 2013

   DiMarco concludes that “… gaining a more complete view into mobile attitudes and behaviors is… critical to getting mobile right… brands can… ensure mobile complements the overall brand building mix…”

For more information from Millward Brown, please visit here.