For the first time, smartphone sales around the world have outsold traditional mobile phones, according to technology research company Gartner. In the second quarter of 2013, global smartphone sales made up 51.8% of total mobile phone sales, thus tipping the scales toward the trend of making smartphones a user’s go-to choice when it comes time for a new mobile phone.
As far as how the sales were split out between manufacturers, Gartner reports that Samsung is still the top retailer with 31.7% of the market share, with Apple coming in second at 14.2%.
Smartphone Growth Grows Into More Mobile Website and App Use
This report of growth in smartphone use also comes at a time when Facebook announced that 78% of its 128 million U.S. users are logging onto Facebook from their mobile device, according to TechCrunch. Around the world, 800 million users are accessing Facebook via a mobile device every day.
With 41% of its advertising revenue coming from these mobile users, it is imperative that marketers continue to renew their focus on mobile marketing efforts.
Influence on Mobile Marketing Trends
To remain competitive in the mobile market, many organizations are releasing more intuitive apps and websites that provide a better mobile experience. For example, Facebook recently announced that they are integrating with restaurant reservation service OpenTable to restaurant’s Facebook pages both on the web and mobile versions. Additionally, the business review site Yelp also has an Augmented Reality feature in their app called Monocle, which allows users to view reviews on their screen of businesses right in front of them using their smartphone camera.
By offering enhanced services to mobile users, marketers will not only be able to better engage with an audience that is looking for immediate information on the go, but can also build brand loyalty. Users are more likely to consistently use the same websites and products across different platforms if they consistently give them the information or resources they are looking for.
