2012 Mobile Trends

Mobile is big business. The iPhone paved the way for smartphones, increasing their popularity and acceptance; now 48% of UK mobile users own a smartphone and this figure is sure to grow along with the tablet market. People are also using mobiles to make purchases, generating substantial web traffic and revenue for those companies who have ensured a good mobile user experience for their consumers.

A recent Forrester report analysed what trends we can expect in 2012. Here, we present a brief summary of the main findings.

‘How’ mobile services are delivered will differentiate them, not ‘What’ they deliver

Those companies that focus on a simple user experience and convenience will be the ones who stand out from their competitors.

Walgreen recently announced that 40% of its online pharmacy sales originate on mobile devices. Its success is rooted in the simplicity and convenience offered by its mobile prescription refill functionality. Delivering convenience will demand a close partnership with customer experience professionals, as most improvements will come through the design of the experience.

New Smartphone users will be less sophisticated

In the past, Smartphones were predominantly used by business types. This is no longer the case and ease of use will become even more important.

Connective mobile technologies will continue to grow

Augmented reality, 2D bar codes, NFC to discover digital content that compliments real world experiences will continue to grow.

Connecting consumers with the right content at the right time will become increasingly important to influence purchase decisions in physical locations.

Increasing customer engagement and satisfaction: top company objectives for mobile

A great user experience is all about increasing engagement and customer satisfaction. With your competitors focussing on this, can you really afford not to?

Need for both applications and the web

Mobile shoppers are using both applications and the mobile web so it’s worth ensuring you provide both.

Social, local, and mobile (SoLoMo) needs added incentives for consumers

Apps that require users to check-in are used infrequently and need added incentives for users to check-in with them regularly.

Growth of tablets

Adoption rates of tablets are expected to reach 12% in Europe and 19% in the US by the end of 2012. If your digital presence isn’t optimized for tablets, now is the time to start working on it.