More people connect to the web via Smartphones now than ever before.  But the mobile web is becoming more than just a trend among consumers; it’s becoming habit. A report from ABI Research indicates that as many as 28% of all mobile phone users access the web from a mobile device at least once daily, if not more often than that. This statistic, quite intriguing from a development standpoint, is also highly relevant to businesses that offer client-facing products or services.
 
But as mobile marketing efforts continue to grow (and adapt), it isn’t enough anymore just to know how many people use or rely upon the mobile web. Anyone planning to implement a mobile marketing strategy today should ask more than just “who’s using it?,” but moreover “what are they doing with it?”

According to a recent study by Comscore, social-networking is quickly becoming one of the most popular uses of the mobile web among Smartphone owners. Mark Donovan, the senior vice president of mobile studies at ComScore publicly stated that “social networking is by far the fastest growing mobile activity” (at least for the moment). The study indicated that currently 20% of mobile phone users regularly access social-networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter from their devices, which is an increase of 240% from the same months in 2009.

Another activity that is starting to gain serious ground with Smartphone owners is mobile shopping. A survey by pricegrabber.com back in April revealed that 35% of Smartphone owners have used their device to shop on the mobile web in the last year for product information and reviews, price comparisons and sometimes to complete purchases. Furthermore, in accordance with these recent increases in shopping activity on the mobile web, Coda Research Consultancy, a well-known mobile forecasting firm, predicts that revenue from mobile shopping will double in 2010.

This projection suggests that developers will overcome what consumers have previously perceived as barriers to purchasing products on the mobile web in the next year, such as a lack of ease and a lengthy buying process. But where the consumer experience can be improved, there is a great opportunity for retailers to capitalize on the projected revenue by strengthening their mobile presence. This action is particularly critical, as 80% of major retailers still have no mobile presence what so ever.

Ultimately, increases in activities such as social-networking from mobile devices and mobile shopping, are indicative of the overall growth of the mobile web. Going forward, companies in all industries, from social media to retail to pharmaceuticals and automotive need to tap into this large, and growing consumer market, to stay competitive.