Direct Response Marketing

Device Type Could Influence Purchasing Behavior

22 Feb, 2012 By: Jackie Jones

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Marketers worldwide are aware of the growing influence of tablets and mobile devices on consumers’ purchasing patterns, but a new study conducted by Google and Ipsos suggests that different devices come more into play for different shopping behaviors.

While more consumers used their smartphones to contact a retailer, others were more prone to using tablets to look up reviews and ratings, research found.

“We know consumers love their mobile and tablet devices, but we are just beginning to develop a strong understanding of how they engage with these devices as they make their purchase decisions,” Google said on its official Mobile Ads Blog. “Not surprisingly, more consumers used their smartphones to contact a retailer. With the natural calling abilities of phones and many click-to-call phone numbers on websites and in ads, smartphones make it easy to contact retailers, whether to see if the store has the product in stock, get directions or find store hours.”

Nearly 46 percent researched an item on their smartphones before buying it in a physical store, while 37 percent researched the item on their phones before purchasing it online. Additionally, 40 percent of smartphone owners purchased a product with their phones, according to Google and Ipsos.

While consumers do use all three devices to research products, some devices emerged more popular for certain reasons than others. Consumers used tablet devices to read product reviews and look up information 77 percent, compared to 67 percent of those with personal computers and 70 percent of those with smartphones.

“Consumers who owned tablets read product reviews and looked for product information more from their tablet devices than from their desktops or smartphones,” Google said. “This is likely due to the combination of the large screen and portability of the device that enables consumers to use it more often and in more places. Consumers are carrying tablets with them to the couch, while in the kitchen, and even to bed.”

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