Local Search on Mobiles Not That Popular - Report

JupiterResearch says that consumer demand for paid wireless information services remains low. With just 20% of consumers willing to pay for directory enquiries information and only 7% willing to pay for local search on their cell phones, local information providers will need to look to advertisers to monetize their local search offerings.

In the newly released report entitled "Mobile Search: Searching for an Audience," JupiterResearch finds that although 81% of online users carry out online searches, few mobile subscribers have used their cell phone for search. Although the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and MSN have developed mobile search offerings (e.g., SMS, WAP sites), they are not yet monetizing the experience as they do with PCs online.

"The JupiterResearch study finds that local ad-based and search revenues from mobile subscribers will remain elusive over the next few years due to limited inventory - not unlike the online medium - combined with limited consumer adoption of the mobile technologies (e.g., SMS, WAP)," stated Julie Ask, research director at JupiterResearch "As such, content and information providers must be patient, invest pragmatically and continue to offer free trials while educating consumers and marketers alike about these services," added Ask."

Posted to the site on 29th September 2005