Smartphones Growing in Usage Among Older Adults and as Purchasing Tool

by Leigh Segall on July 17, 2012

Mobile’s growing dominance of the digital landscape is hard to question at this point. We’ve previously seen data forecasting 80% growth in mobile ad spending this year, CMOs increasing their mobile focus, and it’s increasingly clear that ignoring mobile’s rise is not an option.

Now, FirstData is reinforcing the need for a mobile plan with even more impressive data. Its study reports that 57 percent of Americans now use smartphones, 48 percent use their phone to compare prices when shopping, and 44 percent use their phone to make purchases. Maybe most striking: Mobile is no longer just a tool for the younger generations. Growth year over year in smartphones is 92 percent for retired Americans, and 79 percent for ages 55-64.

Leapfrog Online has witnessed first-hand the growth in revenue from mobile marketing when strategies have been prepared and implemented properly. It’s increasingly an avenue that many consumers prefer for shopping and purchasing, and mobile’s ability to boost the bottom line isn’t restricted to traditional ecommerce industries or specific consumer demographics. Smart marketers are thinking about how mobile can benefit many industries by unlocking the power of a simple, well-timed path to purchase tailored to the product itself. Being a mobile-optimized business isn’t simply creating a mobile website or making a one-off app—it takes an understanding of what the modern customer wants, then delivering the right experience at the right time.

How are you adapting to the modern consumer?