Some 66% of small-business owners are using mobile devices and/or mobile solutions as part of their operations, according to a recent report from Constant Contact.
Of those small-business owners using mobile devices, 73% said they use their phones or tablets to conduct social media marketing, and 71% said they use their devices to conduct email marketing.
When asked what types of mobile/social advertising they currently employ, 97% said they use social media platforms like YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Location-based promotions, such as Foursquare check-ins, came in second at 17%, and text messaging was third at 15%.
Below, additional findings from the Constant Contact Mobile Technology Survey:
Mobile Optimized Websites
- 34% of the small business owners surveyed have a mobile-optimized website.
- 70% of these websites are connected to social media platforms.
The Holdouts
Of the 34% of owners not using any mobile device or solution for their business, 65% have no plans to do so in the future, mainly citing a lack of customer demand.
Mobile Apps for Managing Operations
Small businesses owners reported using a variety of applications to manage operations:
- 82 % use a calendar/time management app.
- 74 % use a customer communications app.
- 52 % use a GPS/mapping app.
- 44 % use an accounting/invoicing app.
- 44 % use an app for industry news/information consumption.
- 29 % use a travel planning app.
About the research: The report was based on a survey administered in March, 2013 to 1,305 participants in the Constant Contact Small Biz Council – a research panel of US small businesses and nonprofits recruited from the Constant Contact customer base.
