People connect with their social networks via their smartphones, but when it comes time to buy, they turn to their tablets, according to a new analysis by Flash Networks, a provider of mobile Internet optimization and monetization solutions. The study was based on an analysis of identifiable mobile data traffic from the Flash Networks installed customer base.
Based on Harmony Analytics, Flash Networks discovered that people who browse on tablets are twice as likely to go to shopping sites, and three times more likely to browse news sites than people who browse on smartphones. Conversely, those who browse on smartphones are more than twice as likely as tablet users to engage in social networking activity, such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
This research suggests that although tablets are also a mobile device, consumers tend to behave more like PC users than smartphone users when they browse and engage with shopping and news sites. Yet, when it comes to checking in and updating social networks, subscribers are more likely to do so on the move, using a smaller device.
Flash Networks collected this data using Harmony Analytics which provides the ability to drill down and analyze traffic based on devices, domain, bearer (e.g. 3G, 4G), data plan (e.g. prepaid, postpaid), application, or any combination of these factors. This analysis is helpful for identifying browsing behavior for advertisers to monetize the mobile Internet.
"We are continuously evolving our analytics to help operators have a greater understanding of application level trends and subscriber behavior," said Merav Bahat, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Flash Networks. "Mobile operators are currently in a position to share valuable information about subscriber preferences that can unlock the key to realizing the potential of mobile advertising."
