Google Research shows how people use their Smartphones

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Back in the early 2000s internet retail started exploding and nonprofit donations followed suit. The same trend is now happening with mobile retail and mobile fundraising.

Google’s recently concluded research study ‘The Mobile Movement – Understanding Smartphone Users’, provides valuable insight into

• how consumers use their phones in daily life
• how they multi-task
• what type of information they search for
• what roles Smartphones play in decision making

Here’s a quick overview of some of the numbers and their significance in the nonprofit world.

For starters, how often do you think you use your Smartphone for anything other than making calls? 89% of these 5000 odd respondents said they use their Smartphones throughout the day. At home and on the go were right at the top of the list. And what were they doing the most? 81% browsed the internet, 68% used an app and 48% watched videos, among other activities. Note that the mobile web is being accessed more than an app, making it imperative to consider both these channels when building a mobile strategy. Consumers are willing to give up anything from chocolate, beer, television and more, to be able to spend more internet time on their Smartphones. According to some Googlers, “Having a bad mobile website is like being closed on Thursday.”

People use Smartphones for a multitude of activities – 89% use it to stay connected, 82% to research and read news – they could be looking up information about your nonprofit, events that you are hosting, and might come across your donation pages. And just like for the retailers, so for the nonprofits – just because consumers don’t hit the buy/donate button, does not mean they are not a captive audience. They still want to be able to access information on their phones, and for this process to be as easy and user-friendly as possible. And since they really care about your cause, you want them to continue to care, even if the primary communication medium has now shifted gears.

One of the sections of Google’s study focused on finding out how local Smartphone users are. Turns out, very!

• 95% of Smartphone users have looked for local information
• And these local searchers more often than not take action. They are the ones who are interested in the ‘now’, with 88% of them having taken action within a day.

Imagine the possibilities of being able to find local volunteers, quickly, through a Smartphone’s geo-location capabilities, by making this process really smooth for the volunteers themselves.

‘Where does the money come from?’ you think. Well, you might already have funding for a mobile project, or you might be looking for funding, but here’s something interesting to consider. Look at some of these mobile advertising stats – 82% of Smartphone users notice Smartphone ads, and half of those who notice these ads, take action. This can be a useful statistic when seeking funding to get that sponsorship/cause marketing going. Your sponsor’s ads will have 82% visibility, and in a very prominent place as well (there are 5 ad spaces on a mobile screen as opposed to 11 on a desktop). And you have the opportunity to connect with your supporters through this impactful, always on mobile channel.

It’s definitely difficult to ignore the ‘Mobile Movement’. Here’s a quick exercise that will help guide you through your needs from a mobile solution. Do you have your own thoughts on how some of these numbers relate to nonprofits? We want to hear them! Comment below or write to us.

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