V-ENABLE, US provider of mobile voice search and enhanced directory assistance solutions, has revealed the results of a nationwide survey that it commissioned from Local Mobile Search (LMS), an Opus Research Advisory Service. The study revealed key information on Mobile 411(voice search) users behaviour, needs and expectations. Among the findings, LMS found that mobile Directory Assistance (DA) users are in the purchase decision mode; precisely the types of consumers most attractive to marketers.
One of the major findings of the study is that typical Mobile 411 users are consumers on the go who want and expect accurate results immediately. Unlike the typical Internet user, who can spend hours browsing and searching for news and sports or accessing entertainment, social networks or any information of interest, the typical DA user is overwhelmingly a person with intent to buy, an important subset of mobile audiences that may appeal to marketers.
Respondents were asked to give their top two reasons for using DA. Inquiries about a business product or service, business hours, or business location scored 40.1%, 40.1% and 48.9% respectively.
According to official statistics, there are over 5.4 billion fixed-line and mobile DA calls made annually in the US – thats over 10,272 calls a minute. These calls are most often made by consumers en route to conduct a transaction, so not only are consumers making the Directory Assistance a multi-billion dollar industry by paying for assistance; they also represent an active channel of consumers, intent on making another purchase in local markets.
Its clear from the data that users of Directory Assistance are some of the most qualified buyers out there, says Greg Sterling, Program Director of LMS. Directory Assistance has emerged as the mass-market entry point for mobile search.
Five years ago, fixed-line DA call volumes were double those of mobile, but that has been changing. The trend is clearly toward mobile DA usage, which is accelerating, with rising mobile penetration of the industry and the growth of mobile-only households.
Perhaps the most understated result from the study is that while billions of 411 calls are made annually, consumers, for the most part, are unaware of the charges associated with 411 calls. More than 50% of the respondents underestimated the actual cost of mobile Directory Assistance charges and, of that group, almost 19% thought it was free. Another 18% didnt know the cost at all (Fig. 3) which means that roughly 70% were incorrect compared to actual fees. Additionally, the survey found that many people were unaware of the free 411 options; roughly three quarters of mobile DA users have not used one of the free alternatives to date.