May 01 2008
1.3 Billion Phone Subscribers To Use Local Search By 2013
Approximately 1.3 billion cellphone users will embrace local search by 2013. Juniper Research states that this is 30% of the subscriber base. We will continue to see additional reports from other industry experts validating the future growth of local search in the months to come. There are many clues given in each report that can assist geo domain owners in delveloping successful sites for users. You have to know what to look for when reading an article that is related to your industry.
In this article, it states “the quality of locally based directories and content will be a key factor”. To many, this is common sense, but I bet there are people who are developing their sites at this time without focusing on both. It is imperative to build your geo domains in accordance with criteria that is presented on future trends. If you have an established site already, you should ask your team if your site meets mobile search standards for those using cellphones and PDAs.
You have to consistently stay ahead of the game by incorporating these future growth trends into your development. The market is expected to generate $4.8 billion by 2013. This should give you plenty of motivation to develop your sites effectively with everyone in mind, not just web surfers. Continue to stay proactive and implement new strategies emerging.
Advertising supported local search will be the key to driving this sector according to Juniper Research, but the firm cautions that the effectiveness of advertising in this sector will vary widely according to local conditions. The availability and quality of locally based directories and content will be a key factor, as well as the presence of the necessary location based infrastructure. In the end it will be the quality of the user experience that will be of paramount importance, the report states.
Interesting info and positive news for both geo domains and mobile internet service. I would like to see more content providers popping up who have already done the backend work and can offer turnkey solutions to the geodomain holders. I have done development and it’s time consuming. It is also a completely different animal from marketing and sales.
1.3 Bill? wow that number is stagging! I think the winner in this game will be the company that is first and best to market a mobile destination…google is winning the desktop, who is going to capture the mobile market?