Google Think Mobile Athens: Mobile search searches launched 2015, surpassing searches from fixed computers around the world for the first time. 2016, the trend was strengthened both globally and in Greece, where 58% of the total population is now using a smartphone.
Google Think Mobile Athens: What are the repercussions for marketers and product companies?
To answer these questions and encourage further discussions, Google organized the first Think Mobile event in Athens to highlight the dynamics of mobile phones and the opportunities created for marketers.
Several speakers, after the introductiontreatment of Grigoris Zarifopoulos, Country Manager for Greece, Cyprus and Malta, talked about issues related to the future of technologyand the recent innovations that Google has introduced to the world of mobile phones. One such app is Google Allo, a new smart way of messaging, for Android and iOS, that combines messaging with Google Assistant – with which the user can chat – to enrich the experience with additional features (such as emojis , ticket reservations, product recommendations, etc.)
At the event, Google unveiled the new features provided through programmatic advertising, revealed the power of video sharing in the era of mobile phones thanks to YouTube, and presented the latest data that highlights the role of mobile phones in the product purchase process.
Google has studied the path that a consumer takes to make a purchase through his mobile device: from the moment he realizes the need, he controls which brands and products cover him, he identifies the most important selection criteria, the best offers, supplier and way of buying, until it reaches its final choice. For example, shopping in the Clothing & Footwear category is often impulsive, with 30% of respondents confirming that they made an instant decision. Buyers in this category rely on their mobile phones, with 26% of respondents having searched mainly from them and 60% watching videos on their mobile phones for the products they buy. Convenience was cited as the biggest benefit of cell phone searches, with 47% saying that's exactly why they searched through their smartphone. In addition, when consumers visited physical stores, 26% said they did so as a result of searches on their mobile device.
On the other hand, those interested in buying a Laptop are even more likely to use a mobile device to do so research. 80% of respondents said they were undecided. This explains why the search for these products via mobile phones is much higher than for other product categories. 4% of purchases were completed via mobile phones in this category, while 51% of searches were made via smartphone while users were visiting stores.
Those interested in the Home and Decoration category consider the first phase of trend search as important, so 92% spends considerable research time at this stage with 40% doing their research through a smartphone. 30% of product searches for this category were made through smartphones, with 40% of consumers who searched for their smartphone to continue doing so while shopping in a physical store.
In the Skin Care sector, 35% of respondents used their smartphone to search for a product. The mobile purchase rate for this category is 2% in Greece. As with the other categories, a significant percentage of research was done through mobile phones, with 20% of them being made through a smartphone. Similarly, purchasers in physical stores discovered a significant proportion of products through their mobile phones while 30% of respondents used their smartphone to do their research while in stores.
Grigoris Zarifopoulos, Country Manager for Greece, Cyprus and Malta, said:
"We notice that with mobile phones, users have easier and lasting access to the product market and provide them with more research and shopping opportunities. In fact, for many consumers, smartphones are the gateway before buying. This is even more intense during the holidays. Businesses that help consumers discover the products they need, find the specific items they want, and ultimately buy unhindered on the device they have chosen, will be able to be the winners of this mobile shopping trip. "
