The evolution of the digital swiss-army knife

The evolution of mobile technology means we are living in a truly anytime, anywhere society.

Our smartphone provides us with the access and opportunity to shop online, manage our finances, make bookings and essentially organise our everyday lives. Best of all, we’re able to do this at a time and location that best suits our ever-busier schedules.

Exploring our dependence on smartphones

We are increasingly reliant on mobile technology with 85% of consumers using a smartphone daily. We struggle to even wake up without the help of our smartphones. In fact, 56% of us are woken by a device’s alarm. The Report also identified that our anytime, anywhere attitude towards smartphones extends into work time. 79% of people admitted to responding to a personal message and 39% browse online during work time.

Our devices provide us with the ability to complete purchases, transfers and transactions almost instantly. Businesses are tasked with the challenge of understanding and engaging with the mobile-first mindset of modern consumers. Delivering a real-time value and customer-centric experience across all devices is key.

The influence of mobile technology

The impact of this reliance has been felt across a wide range of industries. Retailers, in particular, have had to adapt their online offerings to accommodate the rise of mobile shopping or m-commerce.

Our recent research, the Mobile Consumer Behaviour Report tellingly revealed that three-quarters of consumers use their phones to shop online. On average, consumers spent £433.41 on their device in 2017. The rise in m-commerce combined with the rapid adoption of mobile and contactless payments have revolutionised the way British consumers shop.

The increasing penetration of smartphones is being felt throughout many key sectors. 89% of job seekers believe their smartphone is an essential tool for job hunting. The Report also identified that given our ability to place bets remotely, over 4 million people are using their
smartphones to gamble.

Smartphone Society

The research clearly highlights just how prevalent smartphone technology is across so many aspects of our lives. In fact, just over a third of smartphone users would describe themselves as addicted to checking their device.

The presence of mobile devices is only set to grow. Smartphone adoption is forecast to reach 92% of UK adults by 2023. Effective mobile strategies are now essential for businesses looking to engage their customers.

The habitual use of smartphones means that the average user now checks their phone 10,000 times in a year. In fact, 34% of respondents admitted to checking their smartphone in the middle of the night. The research undeniably demonstrates that mobile devices are the ideal way for businesses to engage with their customer base.

Mobile communication for mobile-first users

Despite the evolution of the smartphone’s many functions, the top two uses are interestingly still communication-based. Making calls and sending SMS come out on top. In fact, SMS was identified as the most popular messaging channel with over 92.2% of users favouring the means of communication. This compared to 83% of those using instant messaging.

The Report also found that 21.6% of people are texting throughout the day and a further 47% are already receiving text messages from businesses. This highlights that consumers are already engaged with SMS. Crucially though, this means that consumers are open to receiving brand based communications.

The importance of SMS as a channel for both business and personal use cannot be underestimated. The key to the success of text messaging is the ability consumers have to engage in real-time with the content.

The Report revealed that 74.5% of people complete surveys on their phone. This supports the idea that a streamlined mobile customer journey increases engagement. Similarly, over 37% of people have made a purchase as a direct result of receiving a message from a business. This provides an even more powerful argument for the potential ROI possibilities of SMS.

The right message at the right time

Interestingly, of the 48% of people who say they don’t currently receive SMS from businesses, 76% of them have received delivery notifications and a further 67% have been sent appointment reminders. Suggesting that 48% don’t perceive alerts and reminders as business based perhaps because they aren’t promotion or offer centric.

It’s clear from the research that smartphones are more prevalent than ever. However, there are still vast opportunities to be had when it comes to business SMS.

The way consumers and businesses communicate has fundamentally changed. We’re able to access services and businesses in real-time from almost any location. SMS offers the ideal solution to seamlessly support mobile-first consumer in this digital age.

98%
open rate

Over 98% of the text messages sent from our SMS tool are opened and read. That’s unmatched communication power for your business. Try it for yourself.