Page 10 - index

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

Mobile search

reshapes the path to

purchase by diverting

the consumer journey

across devices

Logically, mobile search is important for the usability of In fact, adapting to a consumer, who has already
mobile content for the same reasons as internet search viewed something on mobile, presents major shifts in
engines became important to the usability of internet how search result pages are designed. Designs can be
content. However, given the limitations of a mobile tweaked to smooth transitions between devices, but
phone’s screen size and general navigability, mobile measuring cross-device results with the same con-
search may be the future, but desktop search is for now sistency is more difficult. Marketers are still challenged
still expected to remain marketers’ first choice. in proving that a mobile activity - conducted without the
tracking capability of desktop cookies - contributed to
an eventual sale and ROI. Therefore, matching up mo-
Due to its considerable advantage in conversion met-
rics, the desktop promises to be a key player throughout bile, tablet and desktop activity, so that advertisers can
this decade, according to the new eMarketer report, establish best practices, remains a work in progress.
“Desktop Search 2014: Marketers Find a Balance with
Mobile.” The researchers state that desktop search re- The future for maximizing desktop search, marketers
mains a favourite among marketers because of its deep say, lies in identifying purchase intent by blending sig-
consumer behaviour history (which benefits search en- nals from other platforms across the purchase process.
gine optimization on the desktop and mobile), its exist- Advertisers are now trying to identify intent for consum-
ing best practices, its measurable return on investment ers who may have come across information in any
(ROI), and its wide usage. “But with a mobile revolution number of ways - YouTube, Twitter, mobile site, tablet,
under way, the desktop is finding a long-term home as a TV ad - and aligning such activity with a desktop search
piece - but no longer the center - of the consumer jour- campaign.
ney”, eMarketers say.
For instance, paid search traffic turns more often into
Key to the future of desktop search is to understand sales on desktops. The underlying goal for marketers
how it will be informed by mobile usage in terms of de- will be to invest in a marketing mix that gives consum-
sign and measurement. Marketers now aim to intercept ers what they need on mobile, identifying them once
consumers at various times on various devices that they transition to desktop and delivering the right
catch consumers’ attention first. search results and content in a consistent format. ◊

By MediaBUZZ

10 Asian eMarketing April 2014 - Mobile Marketing