More people spend via their phones as the world goes "mobile first"

Mobile advertising company InMobi has announced the results of its 2014 Mobile Media Consumption Report.

Based on research covering over 14,000 respondents in 14 countries, the findings show that we’re increasingly living in a "mobile first" world with 60 percent now using a mobile as their primary or only means of going online.

The main findings are that 68 percent have spent money via their phones in the past year and this is expected to rise to 83 percent in the next 12 months. Multi-screening is on the rise too as 61 percent report using their mobile for social networking and text messages whilst watching TV.

The results also show that mobiles are often used to fill in time. 83 percent of respondents said they use their mobile while waiting for something and 81 percent while lying in bed -- how many were lying in bed waiting for something isn't recorded.

Of course all of this has an effect on advertisers as mobile ads are now reckoned to be more influential on purchasing decisions than TV. The most common actions triggered by mobile ads are downloading an app (78 percent), visiting an advertiser’s website (68 percent), or visiting a store or retailer to get extra information or make a purchase (56 percent).

"In last year’s report we found that mobile had touched most aspects of modern life. But this year, we find that mobile has really become an essential part of daily life, even a daily workhorse, that has replaced the desktop and TV for everything from gathering key information, media consumption and accomplishing daily tasks, like shopping and paying bills," says Naveen Tewari, CEO of InMobi. "Furthermore, with mobile content gaining similar prominence as TV, mobile advertising is now impacting consumer behavior across the entire purchasing lifecycle from small day-to-day purchases, to bigger purchases, like cars".

All of this is important for companies as it shows that the mobile platform can have a real and measurable impact on businesses. The use of location tools, targeted mobile advertising, and responsive websites can help to drive consumer traffic and dramatically increase sales.

If you want to find out more you can get the full report from the InMobi Insights website.

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