Consumers prefer using search engine apps to brand apps to search for information on products and services on their smartphones, research by the Direct Marketing Association has found.
The Mobile Search 2012 survey found that 68 per cent of UK smartphone owners prefer using search engines to research potential purchases, compared to just 37 per cent who use brand apps for the same purpose.
It was discovered that 50 per cent use mobile search ‘when looking for offers and deals’, while 40 per cent use their phones to look up information on a brand and 27 per cent use their phone to search for a place to eat.
Richard Hicks, head of mobile for ITV and member of the DMA’s Mobile Marketing Council, said: “While it’s reasonable to expect that the rise of smartphone ownership would lead to the imminent demise of desktop our research suggests this isn't happening as quickly as anticipated.
“However, smartphones have quickly assumed an important role in the lives of consumers. This research is essential reading for marketers to understand how and why consumers are using smartphones to search for information online.”
While more than half of mobile users own a smartphone, it was found that 60 per cent still prefer searching for information via desktop, compared to the 15 per cent who favour smartphone over desktop.