MOBILE BROWSING UP 45% OVER PRIOR YEAR

TMP Directional Marketing (TMPDM) reported that browsing from mobile devices increased 45%, an astonishing amount but completely consistent with reports elsewhere. Much of the increase is attributed to the Apple iPhone. The T-Mobile G1 Android phone, scheduled to be available on October 22, will further the explosion in mobile search and browsing.

TMPDM also reported a decline of almost 10%, from 33% to 30%, in the use of Print Yellow Pages as the first source for search. While growth in search engine use wasn't nearly as dramatic, up 3.3% from 30% to 31%, as the decline in Print Yellow Pages use, it is worth noting the fact that online usage has just surpassed print use.

Other sources used first are Internet Yellow Pages, at 19%, and Local Search sites, at 11%. TMPDM concludes that marketers need to use a diverse marketing mix to reach their target audience. In addition, TMPDM SVP Gregg Stewart said that while consumers do a majority of research online, they continue to make purchases offline with a phonecall or in-store visit. Furthermore, consumer user reviews are increasing in popularity. -Stuart Whitaker, Smarajit Dasgupta