88% of US smartphone internet users say they at least rarely notice ads through a variety of contact points on their device, according to [pdf] a survey released in February 2012 by Google. 47% have noticed an ad while on a website, while 46% have noticed one while in an application and 41% while using a search engine. A significant proportion have also noticed ads while watching a video (27%), on a retailer website (25%), and on a video website (20%).
According to data released in March 2012 by Nielsen, after viewing an ad on their smartphone, 20% of US device owners made a purchase on the internet via their computer in Q3 2011, while 11% either searched for more information about a business they saw advertised or clicked on an ad to see the full advertisement or product offering. Smaller proportions used or requested a coupon through an ad they saw (7%), made a purchase at a store for goods or services they saw advertised (6%) or made a purchase directly through their device based on the ad they saw (4%).
Meanwhile, a February report [download page] from InMobi suggests that 65% of US mobile web users are more or equally comfortable with mobile advertising compared to TV or online ads.
Search Engine Usage Prevalent
Data from Google’s “Our Mobile Planet: Global Smartphone Users” indicates that the vast majority of smartphone internet users (smartphone users who use the internet in general) in the 6 countries studied use search engines on their devices. The proportion doing so is highest in Japan (99%), followed by Spain and the UK (both at 96%), the US and France (both at 95%), and Germany (92%).
Meanwhile, 82% of US smartphone owners who use search engines do so on at least a weekly basis.
Many Search in Response to Offline Ad
Two-thirds of US smartphone users who say they at least rarely notice advertising have used their device to run a search in response to an ad they have seen offline. 58% have used their device to do a search after noticing an ad on TV, while 57% have done so after seeing an ad in a shop or business. Device users are slightly less likely to search after seeing an ad in a magazine (46%) or on a poster (36%).
Other Findings:
- US smartphone users have an average of 26 applications installed on their devices, of which 6 are paid apps. They reported using 11 of those apps in the past 30 days.
- 3 in 4 US smartphone users have watched online video on their device, including 26% who do so at least daily.
- 79% of US users have visited a social network on their device, and 54% do so at least once a day. For those accessing social networks on smartphones, reading posts from people known personally ranks as the most widespread activity, performed by 84.6% during the 3-month average ending December 2011, according to a February 2012 report from comScore.
- 76% of US smartphone users report having used their device while in a store, although the most common places of use are at home (96%) and on-the-go (83%).
- 51% say they watch TV programs while using their smartphone.
About the Data: The Google survey results are based on online interviews with private smartphone users who use the internet on their smartphone. The sample size was 1,000 each in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Japan. Interviews were conducted by Ipsos in Q1 2012 (fieldwork in January/February).
