Smartphones Most-Used Device For Product Info By 16-34 Year Olds

A recent piece of research conducted by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK has found that mobile devices are the preferred technology of choice amongst 16 to 34 year olds when searching for product information, the company announced on its website.

The study questioned 2,000 smartphone owners aged between 16 and 70, and found that 81% of this demographic used an app or browser to access the internet via their mobile device on a daily basis. This figure rose to 90% for those aged 25 to 34.

Forms of traditional media were found to act as triggers, prompting 59% of users to conduct further research on a product or service on their mobile device. TV was found to be the most effective form of traditional media when it came to influencing further research, with 43% of respondents looking for additional information after viewing something on TV. Only 28% said they did so after seeing something in a newspaper, 25% from seeing some form of outside advertising and 21% for content in magazines or on the radio.

Despite the popularity of using a mobile device to research a product or service, it was found that 52% of smartphone owners had visited a non-mobile optimised site within the last month; and over two-thirds said this was a ‘frustrating’ experience.

Hannah Bewley, senior research manager for the IAB, stated that the study “emphasised the importance of optimising sites so that consumers are able to browse [a] site, research [a] product and transact on the move.” She continued to note hat as 73% of consumers do not look for a different device if they come across a non-mobile optimised site, it is essential for brands and businesses to invest in an optimised site, else they are “risking losing customers.”