40% Of Consumers Run Mobile Searches Whilst Watching TV

Recent findings from a study conducted jointly by iAcquire and Survey Monkey, has suggested that 40% of mobile searches now take place while consumers are in front of the TV. This implies that for marketers, knowing that TV is emerging as a major component of multi-screen users’ activities is no longer enough and it’s also good to be aware of what other tasks they perform while watching TV to better devise their strategies.

The research doesn’t say whether TV is the driver behind consumers’ search activity, but according to a study conducted by Sterling Brands and Ipsos on behalf of Google last year, a certain share of mobile search occasions come as a result of TV watching. According to iAcquire, a third of smart device users also posted TV-related tweets last year, a trend that has also been observed by Nielsen, MarketingCharts said.

While examining deeper mobile behaviour, the researchers also found that 70% of queries run on mobile devices trigger action on websites within an hour. Tablets are starting to gradually replace desktop computers, as 40% of consumers now search via their tablets, while the remaining 60% use their phones to conduct searches.

Today’s consumer is constantly on the lookout for information and making a website work well on mobile devices is essential in order to benefit from this audience segment. Besides, as consumers know, they have a myriad of options at their fingertips and 40% would likely leave a site without thinking twice if it’s not mobile-friendly.