Being on the mobile team here at Springbox and focusing on all things mobile, I came across an article from Stephen Mellish on utalkmarketing.com about the gap between mobile marketing adoption and smartphone growth. The first thing that caught my attention was in the first line: "Recent news that sales of mobile device overtaking personal computers has come as a surprise to analysts and experts alike."
The author provides statistics to support this statement, which is sort of a wake-up call on the momentum shift to mobile devices for personal computing. "Manufacturers sold a total of 101 million smartphones in the last three months of 2010, up 87% from the same period a year earlier, while PC shipments reached 92 million units in the fourth quarter, up less than 3%."
The article goes on to state the tipping point is approaching much faster than originally predicted, surprising many. And in order to close the gap, retailers and media organizations need to pick up the pace progressing towards mobile web adoption and do it fast. They are missing abundant sales opportunities as a result of this trend.
A few who are doing it right:
Starbucks developed a successful "touch to pay" app for iPhone and Blackberry users to purchase coffee beverages using their phones. Starbucks CEO, Howard Shultz announced the new app was used by three million people in three months. That's a lotta java.
Ancestry.com recently announced their mobile app for iPhone, iPad and iPod was downloaded over one million times. You can now take your family tree with you.
ESPN launched a free app WatchESPN that allows some cable subscribers to view a live stream of ESPN to watch the Masters, NBA Playoffs and MLB games.
At Springbox, we are witnessing phenomenal smartphone usage and growth in the marketplace. It's evident in the number of users who use smartphones to access our current clients' full-version websites. We are passionate about taking advantage of mobile opportunities to provide a robust mobile strategy as part of our portfolio for new and existing clients. Some of our mobile sites include a Livestrong iPhone app, Livestrong Spanish mobile site and a mobile site for Central Market. We have even delved into the realm of using QR codes in the Central Market Chocolate campaign.
App or site? We'll find the right one for you.