[View Point] Mobile Searches Drive Valuable Business

On a recent trip to Washington, D.C., I was in search of restaurant/diner to grab a quick lunch. I had at my disposal my hotel room’s computer, yet I grabbed my iPhone and did a Web search for “Washington, D.C. Sandwiches,” which led me to my destination (Potbelly Sandwich Shop, which I am giving a grade somewhere between OK and OK-minus).

My behavior was not atypical. Increasingly, consumers are turning to mobile devices as their primary tools for searching the Web. According to Pew Research, 55 percent of Americans said they’d used a mobile device to access the Internet in 2012*. A surprisingly large number (31 percent) of these mobile Internet users say that’s the primary way they access the Web. Moreover, Google reports that 77 percent of searches from mobile devices take place at home or work, while only 17 percent of searches are while on the move.¹

What’s more, like me in my quest for a sandwich, many mobile users are searching with the end goal of making a purchase. That same Google report noted that 73 percent of mobile searches trigger additional action and conversions. In response to the question, “What other actions did you take in person” after doing a smartphone search, those surveyed answered:

• 36% continued research
• 25% visited a retailer’s website
• 18% shared information
• 17% visited a store
• 17% made a purchase
• 7% called a business

What do these mobile device trends mean for PCOs? For one thing, if your website’s content is not optimized for display on mobile devices, you may be missing a significant pool of potential customers.

PCT has recognized the rise of mobile users, which is why we’ve been pushing the envelope with our mobile technology, including the PCT app. Whether you are in the office or in the field, the PCT app provides you with pest control-related business management information, industry news and research at your fingertips, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you haven’t downloaded the PCT app yet, now is the perfect time to do so. From now until August, when you download the current issue of PCT on your iPhone or iPad, your name will automatically be entered into a drawing to win an iPad Mini. The PCT app is available in the iTunes store at http://bit.ly/11wnvPT.
 

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Included in this month’s issue (pages 81-82) is the nomination form for PCT’s 18th annual Technician of the Year Awards program, sponsored by BASF (the online nomination form is at www.pctonline.com/techyear14.aspx). Every year, PCT looks forward to recognizing standout service professionals in the commercial, residential and termite categories, and learning about their personal and work histories. (In March, we recognized the 2013 Technicians of the Year at NPMA Legislative Day, in Washington, D.C., see page 13.) The program is one of PCT’s most important because it is an opportunity to recognize the men and women who truly are the faces of your companies. I encourage all owners, managers and technical directors to give your company’s standout professionals the recognition they deserve by nominating them this year. If you have any questions about the program, or the nomination process, please feel free to contact me directly.

The author is Internet editor and managing editor of PCT (www.pctonline.com) and can be contacted via email at bharbison@giemedia.com.

*Pew Research’s “Cell Internet Use 2012” report

¹Google/Nielsen Life360 Mobile Search Moments Q4 2012