Archive for the ‘Research & Data’ Category
Thursday, May 2, 2013
As mobile plays an increasingly central role in the local search experience, we need better insights into how consumers are using non-PC devices to find neighborhood business information so that local search marketers can leverage trends in the space.
I’m pleased to announce that today the Local Search Association is releasing our new Local Mobile Search report, prepared by comScore, which looks at the evolving mobile environment in the U.S. and the growing role of smartphones, tablets and other connected devices in the local search experience, highlighting trends in online directory and IYP usage and demographics.
The report shows a continuing shift of mobile usage among consumers, signaling an opportunity for local businesses to re-evaluate where they devote their online ad spending. Most notably, traffic to online directories and other local resources from non-PC devices more than quadrupled in 2012, reaching 27% share of total web traffic in December 2012 from 6% share in December 2011. The percentage growth of page hits on online directories and other local resources from non-PC devices grew at more than double the 8% growth rate in total web traffic on non-PC devices in 2012.
The report also found that 48% of U.S. mobile users used their devices to access local content in December 2012, up from 42% in December 2011.
Internet Yellow Pages Accessed by Highly Desirable Mobile Users
The report found that Internet Yellow Pages (IYP) apps are a powerful tool for local businesses to reach ready-to-buy consumers, since they are used by a desirable demographic for local businesses looking to attract new customers:
- More than half of all IYP app users (53%) are age 25-44.
- IYP app users are 51% more likely to have an income greater than $100,000 versus all mobile phone users.
- IYP app users are more prolific shoppers than average smartphone users. 41% of IYP users make at least one on-phone purchase per month, versus 19 percent of all smartphone users.
- IYP app users spend considerably more in on-phone purchases than all smartphone users, with 10% of IYP app users spending a monthly average of more than $500 on on-phone purchases, versus 4% of all smartphone users.
As the market continues to evolve, IYP mobile apps represent an easy first-step for local businesses to expand their integrated advertising efforts into the mobile space.
Local Searchers Prefer Apps to Browser
As a growing number of consumers use mobile to access local content such as business directories, classified ads, maps, and movie information, they are showing a preference for applications over browsers.
- Approximately 77 million smartphone owners relied on applications to visit local content in December 2012, up 22 percent since December 2011.
- About 69 million users relied on browsers in December 2012, up 12 percent since December 2011.
Nonetheless, strong usage and growth in browsers demonstrates that both platforms require our attention and investment.
Online Traffic Patterns Rapidly Changing
The report shows that rapid growth of connected devices is drastically changing how consumers access the Internet. In 2012, growth in the number of PC users accessing the Internet flat-lined for the first time. By contrast, the share of web traffic from non-PC devices including smartphones and tablets more than doubled to 15% in December 2012 versus 7% in December 2011.
The number of non-PC devices is also growing rapidly. More than one in three (37.3%) of all U.S. smartphone users also owned other connected devices at the end of 2012, including tablets (28.8%), eReaders (10.0%) and other handhelds like portable gaming devices (4.1%), providing consumers with additional ways to access the Internet.
Key Takeaways
Our report demonstrates that the media landscape is continuing to diversify as more consumers begin using smartphones, tablets and other connected devices in their daily lives. In response, local businesses should increasingly pursue mobile solutions as part of their integrated local advertising strategy, whether it’s introducing a smartphone and tablet-friendly website, or taking advantage of IYP mobile apps.
May 2, 2013 | 1 Comment
Tags: comScore, connected devices, Local Mobile Search Report, Local Search, Local Search Association, mobile, PC, search, smartphone, tablet, web traffic
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
With the April 15th federal tax return deadline right around the corner, vSplash released an interesting new infographic which shows that local independent tax preparers are lagging well behind their national counterparts in leveraging digital and mobile tools to reach new customers.
vSplash estimates that there is at least a $140 million opportunity for digital marketing service providers to help thousands of local independent tax preparers get ready for next year’s tax season.
Check out the infographic below for additional details and click over to a blog post by vSplash’s Neal Polacheck about the data. We’re excited to hear from Neal first hand during the SMB “State of the Union” session at our Search Starts Here conference next week in Las Vegas.
April 10, 2013 | Leave a Comment
Tags: Data, Local Search Association, Neal Polacheck, revenue, SMB, SMB DigitalScape, vSplash
Friday, March 22, 2013
Local media advertising revenues will climb from $132.5 billion in 2012 to $148.8 billion in 2017, according to a new study from BIA/Kelsey. Interestingly, the firm predicts that national advertisers will make up a significant portion of that increase, accounting for nearly $51 billion of local media ad revenue by 2017.
“Local media has become a key channel, not only for local small businesses, but for regional businesses, national franchises and national brands targeting locally,” said Mark Fratrik, vice president and chief economist, BIA/Kelsey. “This is clearly seen in our tracking of market shifts in mobile, social, search, promotions, coupons and deals, native ads and sales transformation.”
Though increased focus from national brands could create more competition in the local advertising space for small- and medium-sized businesses, the additional investment will surely spur innovation, likely positive for all.
Visit BIA/Kelsey’s website for more insights from their newly released “U.S. Local Media Forecast”
March 22, 2013 | Leave a Comment
Tags: BIA/Kelsey, local advertising, Local Search Association, U.S. Local Media Forecast
Monday, February 25, 2013
Ad Age reports that Facebook has started a new strategy for targeting ads to its users. The social network is working with big data firms Acxiom, Datalogix, and Epsilon to garner data from brand loyalty programs and match them with Facebook user profiles.
This approach will allow companies to very specifically target online ads to Facebook users based on their offline shopping habits. For example, when a consumer makes a purchase at a grocery or drug store using their rewards card, Facebook’s advertisers will be able to target ads to that consumer when they visit the social network:
“The targeting would hypothetically enable Coca-Cola to target to teenagers who’ve bought soda in the last month, or Pampers to show ads to North Carolina residents who’ve recently bought baby products, since Facebook’s own array of demographic and interest-based targeting options can be added to further refine audience segments,” says Ad Age.
Facebook is currently only in the testing phase for this method of ad targeting, but in the future local businesses with rewards programs could certainly find the initiative useful. It will be interesting to see how both advertisers and consumers respond, and how much the program can grow given user privacy concerns.
February 25, 2013 | Leave a Comment
Tags: Ad Age, Digital Marketing, Facebook, Local Search, Local Search Association, loyalty program, rewards program
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
A recent survey from the Wall Street Journal and Vistage International shows that small businesses find value in social media, but are digging in to see which channels are worth the most investment. The survey, which asked 835 business owners how they view each social network as it pertains to their company’s growth, found that six out of 10 owners see value in the medium.
Likely because it’s focused on business networking, LinkedIn was said to be the most valuable social media channel among those surveyed: 41% of business owners singled it out as the top growth driver. Twitter came in with the lowest rating among those surveyed, with only 3% seeing it as the most valuable.
Some business owners attributed the finding to lower engagement on Twitter as opposed to Facebook or LinkedIn. With Twitter’s post restriction of 140 characters, small business owners said it can be difficult to convey messages while including links to drive website clicks and direct buys. Twitter’s interface for comments and replies is also less smooth than on other social networks, making it less likely for a user to answer a question or give feedback.
However, small business owners’ perceived usefulness of each social network does not necessarily track with how businesses are actually using them. For example, Twitter usage far exceeds its perceived potential, according to the WSJ survey.
Due to the overall popularity of social media, small businesses may feel the need to be present on all the major channels. My advice is to always weigh the usefulness of each marketing medium based on the needs and customer makeup of the specific business. Each channel may not yield results for all businesses, so owners must continually reevaluate and shift focus to those that do.
February 13, 2013 | Leave a Comment
Tags: Facebook, Google+ Local, LinkedIn, local marketing, Local Search Association, Pinterest, Small Business, social media, social media marketing, Twitter, Wall Street Journal, YouTube
Friday, January 11, 2013
Earlier this week, the National Federation for Independent Business released the results of its monthly Small Business Optimism Index. While overall optimism remained low – likely due in part to the uncertainty of fiscal cliff talks still unresolved at the time of the survey – there were two bright spots of growth for small business owners: sales and earnings.
Small business sales have shown improvement. Business owners reported higher nominal sales over the past three months, with an increase of 5 points. Additionally, the net percent of the 648 small-business owners surveyed expecting higher real sales volumes rose 3 points.
Also gaining 3 points were small business owners’ reports of earnings growth. While the growth is welcome news, overall small business earnings still remain dim.
Take a closer look at the NFIB’s full report to look at ways you might adjust your sales strategy in the coming months to better reflect the overall mood in the small business community.
January 11, 2013 | Leave a Comment
Tags: Local Search Association, NFIB, Small Business, Small Business Economic Trends Report, Small Business Optimism Index
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Approximately 30% of overall search volume and lookups for local business information via YP offerings now come from mobile devices, according to YP’s end-of-the-year Local Insights Digital Report.
The report, based on more than 2.2 billion searches across YP’s online and mobile offerings in 2012, demonstrated a great year for YP. Local search volume via YP offerings continued to grow this year, with users making an average of 350,000 more local searches everyday than last year. Mobile searches via YP offerings were up 25% year-over-year. YP searches via iPads were up 233%, while searches on Android devices were up 205%.
Other highlights from the report include:
- Medical and health care related searches are growing, with consumers searching 61% more this past year in related categories.
- Restaurants continue to dominate local search, comprising 17% of mobile searches on YP’s network and 10% of all searches.
- New York City was the “Local Search City Capital” of the year for YP, narrowing edging out Houston and Los Angeles with the most searches made in a city.
YP’s report is good news for the company and the industry as a whole. It shows that our digital and mobile products continue to be widely adopted by consumers as their search habits expand to new platforms.
Click here to read YP’s full report.
December 18, 2012 | Leave a Comment
Tags: digital, Local Insights, Local Search, Local Search Association, mobile, online, report, research, search, YP
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
New research from analyst firm Market Authority shows that print Yellow Pages usage not only remains strong in rural areas, but is also a key player in the local search experience in urban areas as well.
Market Authority conducted more than 39,000 live interviews across the country with both urban and rural consumers. Their research found that perceptions of low print Yellow Pages usage among urbanites is “highly exaggerated.” The firm found that 67% of consumers in urban households report using the print directory at least occasionally when searching for local businesses.
Results from rural markets were even stronger, with nearly 90% of consumers interviewed reporting they use print directories at least occasionally when searching for local businesses. Across both urban and rural markets, Market Authority found that print usage skews much higher with baby boomers and seniors.
This report tracks closely with our most recent annual Local Media Tracking Survey, which was conducted by independent research firm Burke. The data, released this past July, showed that print and Internet Yellow Pages are highly consulted sources of local business information, with 74% of consumers in urban areas saying they searched a print or Internet Yellow Pages in the past year. Our research also shows reach among consumers living in rural areas is stronger with 83% using print or Internet Yellow Pages in the past year.
“Our research suggests that print Yellow Pages should still be a key part of an SMB’s budget in urban areas and should still dominate the budget in a rural areas.” said Steve Sitton, president of Market Authority.
The research continues to demonstrates that a balanced, integrated and multi-platform approach to local advertising – and one that takes into account the ongoing value of print Yellow Pages – is essential to any local business market plan.
Click here to view the full news release from Market Authority.
December 5, 2012 | Leave a Comment
Tags: Data, Inc., Local Search Association, Market Authority, print directories, print Yellow Pages, PYP, research, rural, urban, usage
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
In a move to make mobile impression counts more “robust and reliable”, industry groups including the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), and the Media Ratings Council (MRC) have released updated guidelines for mobile web advertising measurement. The new guidelines impact mobile measurement definitions, click measurement considerations, general reporting parameters and auditing recommendations.
The groups proposed that client-side counting for mobile web ad impressions be required to help limit discrepancies. They also recommended that the mobile advertising industry work on a standardized definition of viewable impressions.
“Our objective is to ensure that mobile remains a valued component of the marketing mix with clear, actionable guidelines in place,” said Michael Becker, managing director of MMA North America.
For details on the recent updates, visit IAB’s website.
November 27, 2012 | 1 Comment
Tags: IAB, impressions, Interactive Advertising Bureau, Local Search Association, Media Ratings Council, MMA, mobile, mobile ad impressions, mobile ads, Mobile Advertising, Mobile Marketing Association, MRC
Monday, November 12, 2012
In my monthly column on Search Engine Land, I discuss the results of an interesting new national survey sponsored by YP entitled “How Consumers Are Using Local Search.”
The survey, which was conducted by immr and Street Fight, asked 1,100 respondents questions about how they search and what they search for across 11 business categories. As I discuss in my column, the survey responses both enhance our understanding of local search behavior and confirm our conviction that small businesses benefit from implementing dynamic and comprehensive local advertising strategies.
My five key takeaways from the study include:
- As more digital devices become available, local search volume will continue to rise
- Mobile and tablet searches are increasing towards PC levels
- Local searches require that local business provide more complete content
- “Local” is not clearly defined, since consumers are willing to travel further for products and services when they believe its beneficial
- While a large share of consumers use local search regularly, there is a group of “avid local search users” who use local search tools much more extensively than others.
Check out the full survey results in my column on Search Engine Land.
November 12, 2012 | 1 Comment
Tags: consumer, Data, immr, Local Search, Local Search Association, mobile, PC, research, Search Engine Land, Street Fight, tablet, YP
Monday, October 8, 2012
In their latest installment of the Mobile Path to Purchase Study, xAD and Telmetrics partnered to deliver some interesting insights on mobile restaurant behavior.
The study found that the restaurant category, as compared to others like auto and travel, is the most urgent and locally driven. Mobile restaurant search has a 90% conversion rate, with 64% of smartphone searchers converting immediately or within the hour.
Interestingly, search behavior varied by mobile device. Smartphone users, as on-the-go searchers, were more likely to look up locations using GPS, search for directions and call a restaurant, while tablet searchers, who generally search at home, were more likely to look at online ratings and reviews, find online promotions, and research menus.
xAD Inc’s VP of Marketing, Monica Ho, explained that due to possible issues with connectivity and device size, tablets are more likely to be used in-home in a more PC-like fashion, making smartphones the choice for finding local businesses right there and right now.
Another interesting tidbit is that 70% of time spent searching mobile restaurant content is done through apps. It’s imperative for local restaurants to make sure all info including their address, menu items, and hours are up-to-date and available on popular mobile apps like MenuPages, OpenTable, Yelp, and YP.
Check out the full installment for more on the study and take a look at a fantastic infographic on mobile restaurant behavior below by the xAD and Telmetrics teams.
October 8, 2012 | Leave a Comment
Tags: MenuPages, mobile, Mobile Path to Purchase, mobile search, OpenTable, restaurant, restaurant search, smartphone, tablet, Telmetrics, xAD, Yelp, YP
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Consumers are becoming daily deals junkies – checking sites like Groupon and Living Social each day and awaiting the daily e-mail from platforms like Gilt City and Google Offers to see the latest deals in their city.
Last week, in the midst of SMB Digital Marketing 2012, BIA/Kelsey released a new report projecting that daily deals spending will rise by 87% in 2012 alone. U.S. consumers will spend $3.6 billion on sites like Living Social and Groupon by the end of the year.
BIA/Kelsey expects the daily deals space to grow an additional 23% in 2013 and projects that it will become a $5.5 billion industry by 2016.
Growth in this area presents a major opportunity for small business. Stay tuned.
September 25, 2012 | Leave a Comment
Tags: BIA/Kelsey, daily deals, Gilt City, Google Offers, Groupon, Living Social, Local Search, Local Search Association, report, research, SMB Digital Marketing
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Recently, a legal marketing firm issued a press release on the changing ways that people find lawyers. The release, citing an American Bar Association (ABA) public opinion poll, stated that the use of print Yellow Pages “as the primary way to find a lawyer for a personal legal matter appears to be waning.”
The marketing firm’s conclusion is misleading for several reasons.
- The poll, which was conducted way back in September 2010, told us what we already know: that many people searching for a lawyer for a personal legal matter find one through friends and family or by contacting a lawyer they’ve used previously. But when it comes to those who find a lawyer through advertising, the poll showed that the same number of people who search for a lawyer via the print Yellow Pages search for one online. The report itself said there may be “some erosion” from anticipated use of print Yellow Pages compared to research that was conducted prior to the availability of the Internet, but the degree of shift to the web is difficult to assess. So while there’s no doubt the Internet is playing a bigger role in how lawyers are found, there is also minimal evidence to suggest that print Yellow Pages are losing their historical prominence as a place where consumers go to find lawyers.
- The 2011 Local Media Tracking Study, conducted by the independent research firm Burke on behalf of the Local Search Association, found that print Yellow Pages generate an impressive 93.4 million look-ups annually for attorney services. The attorneys heading ranked 9th based on usage among the top 300 print Yellow Pages headings. This is a decline over previous years, but still a very strong and healthy standing.
- Our Local Media Tracking Study also demonstrated the high value of print Yellow Pages look-ups for attorneys. Approximately 55% of consumers have a decision to make when searching print Yellow Pages for attorneys. This includes consumers who had no name in mind or had two or more names in mind before looking in the directory. Additionally, 63% of consumers contact an attorney they found in the print Yellow Pages, while 68% of consumers using directories make a purchase of attorney’s services or intend to make a purchase. Furthermore, 70% of purchasers secured through print Yellow Pages are new customers for the attorney they contact.
- Print Yellow Pages deliver an unduplicated audience because they have low duplication with other media, according to the 2011 Intermedia Shopping Study conducted by TNS. For example, when print Yellow Pages is used in combination with online services advertising, it extends the reach to purchasers by 58%.
- Finally, a review of 26 display ad call tracking studies conducted for 10 national advertisers showed print Yellow Pages deliver strong value to attorney advertisers. Average return on investment is 7 to 1, and median return on investment is 4 to 1, according to Local Search Association data.
While our industry recognizes that general use of print Yellow Pages is declining, that does not mean that legal related ads are no longer an effective marketing tool. The data above speaks for itself: that an integrated advertising approach that leverages directories in addition to newer platforms like the web will garner the best results for lawyers looking for new customers.
September 20, 2012 | Leave a Comment
Tags: ABA, advertising, American Bar Association, attorneys, law, lawyers, Local Media Tracking STudy, print Yellow Pages, PYP, Yellow Pages
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Twitter will edge out Facebook in total U.S. mobile ad revenue in 2012, but Facebook will overcome Twitter next year as its mobile ads product take hold, according to a new forecast by eMarketer.
Both social networks are expected to substantially grow their mobile ad revenues over the next few years, as the U.S. mobile ad market swells from a projected $2.6 billion this year to nearly $12 billion by 2016. By 2013, Facebook is anticipated to overcome Pandora to become the #2 largest U.S. mobile ad platform. Google, which currently retains the top spot, is expected to remain in that position with a substantially larger share than its closest competitors combined.
eMarketer’s report, released last week, credits several developments at both Twitter and Facebook for driving increased revenues for their mobile products. See the full article here.
With smartphone and tablet technologies becoming mainstays in the lives of today’s connected consumers, marketers are looking for all the ways to maximize mobile ad strategies.
IAB’s Vice President and General Manager Anna Bager spoke with the E-Commerce Times about the eMarketer forecast and how marketers can best approach mobile advertising:
“Both tablet and smartphone users show an impressive interest in mobile advertising,” Bager said. “The key for marketers is looking at how consumers use these devices in different ways, and tailoring brand messages and strategies accordingly.”
That’s great advice, and it applies to platforms beyond just mobile. Marketers should be sure to have a well-rounded and tailored approach when delegating ad dollars across the growing number of available platforms.
September 11, 2012 | Leave a Comment
Tags: ad revenue, eMarketer, Facebook, Google, IAB, Local Search, Local Search Association, Pandora, social media, Twitter
Friday, September 7, 2012
We came across a great story in tnooz about a new study that shows the power of local mobile advertising to generate purchases in certain business categories.
xAD, the local mobile ad network, and Telmetrics, the mobile call measurement provider, teamed up with Nielsen to study mobile purchase behavior in a new Mobile Path-to-Purchase report released last week.
The report found that overall intent to purchase among mobile users is high; however, the time between search and purchase varies among the type of business being searched. Restaurant searchers showed immediate transaction intent with 87% of those surveyed saying they planned to make a buying decision within the day, while 33% of Travel searchers said they intended to make a same-day purchase.
Interestingly (and important to our industry), the report also showed that if a business ad or listing doesn’t have immediate “local relevance” – for example, a local phone number or local address – consumers will move on to a business that does. Telmetrics suggests that local business make sure to include a local number instead of a toll-free number so that the business appears relevant to mobile searchers.
Click below to check out a great infographic with these initial findings and look out for the full report coming this fall at www.MobilePathtoPurchase.com.
September 7, 2012 | Leave a Comment
Tags: app, local relevance, Local Search, Local Search Association, mobile, Mobile local, Nielsen, Nielsen Company, Path-to-Purchase, report, restaurant, Small Business, study, Telmetrics, travel, xAD
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