If you had to pick the three main mobile delivery channels of 2011, chances are, Apps would top your list. And how wrong you would be.
According to Forrester’s 2011 Mobile Channel Strategy Overview, mobile websites take the number 1 spot. Their survey of eBusiness and channel strategy professionals across Europe, the Middle East and North America reveals that more than half of the firms have mobile optimized websites, with the remaining 40% planning to have one soon. Given the huge advances in handsets, mobile browsers and cellular networks this should come as no surprise. What is surprising though is what claims the number 2 spot. It’s the good old SMS. SMS text messages were the most commonly used mobile data service by eBusiness professionals. With marketing messages and service alerts being the main content delivered through SMS. In the modern world of mobile technology old is still gold it would seem
Things could change quickly though, and the harbinger for that change is, well, the mobile app. While not among the top 2 yet, it’s fast gaining popularity and just about everyone surveyed concluded it was a must-have. While 40% of the eBusiness professionals surveyed have an iPhone app, 50% of the remaining plan to offer one soon. Android users needn’t feel left out though, a whopping 60% said they plan to introduce apps for other platform, with 24% already having done so
With tablets having made their presence felt and smartphones only getting bigger and better, mobile deliver channels are now an essential component of any firm’s communication. In fact, the next time there’s a survey, you’ll probably hear about it with the beep of an SMS, or better yet, as an app.
Source: Forrester. Mobile Channel Strategy