Smartphones have revolutionized life for millions of consumers.  Much of daily life takes place on smartphones.

智能手机于 20 世纪 90 年代末进入消费市场，随着黑莓手机的推出，智能手机逐渐受到主流消费者的欢迎。苹果公司于 2007 年推出首款 iPhone 机型，进军智能手机市场；三星则于 2008 年 6 月推出 Instinct 机型。

In addition to the smartphone, the modern consumer has access to other devices, the most popular of which is the tablet computer, introduced in 2010. Consumers and business owners are using mobile devices in new ways every day around the world. This new technology has made it possible for everybody to connect and relate what is happening at any given moment.

智能手机和移动设备的兴起

在美国，人们在移动设备上花费的时间比在台式电脑上花费的时间要多得多。推动人们在移动设备上花费时间增加的因素之一是仅限移动的社交网络，例如人气迅速增长的 Snapchat。推论很明显——如果公司没有提供足够的移动体验，或者他们无法通过移动显示或搜索吸引受众，那么与那些提供足够体验的公司相比，他们就会失败。

Smartphones continue to increase, and their evolving use, along with that of other mobile devices, is resulting in new consumer expectations and behavior when it comes to the purchase of goods and services and the consumption of information. Retailers are adjusting to shopping research on tablets and smartphones and in-store mobile usage while organizing their websites to make the most of the mobile consumer and commerce experience.

智能手机和移动设备在产品和服务行业中的实际用途

智能手机和设备用户可以浏览互联网，即使远离 WiFi 也能保持连接。它们还可以让用户连接到社交媒体，使他们无论身在何处，都可以在白天或晚上的任何时间发表评论和图片。此外，它们还允许用户听音乐。它们可以读取 mp3 文件，使其成为成功的便携式音乐播放器。

人们在预订旅行、观看视频、获取本地信息（例如新餐厅的评分及其确切位置）时也会使用智能手机和平板电脑。他们还会使用设备进行 Google 搜索以及阅读新闻和娱乐八卦。他们更喜欢使用智能手机进行某些活动（例如本地搜索），而使用平板电脑进行其他活动（例如观看电影）。

设计的重要性

The mobile web has grown astronomically with the increase in mobile devices. The number of people using their tablets and smartphones to search the web has long exceeded the number using their desktops for that same purpose. Businesses should, therefore, optimize their websites for all devices: tablet and smartphones users in search of a product or service (as in our earlier restaurant example) choose in only a few seconds whether or not to patronize an organization based on if their mobile website is easy to use – or not.

The swift growth in usage and importance of mobile devices is not just an American phenomenon. Mobile device usage has grown drastically worldwide. People spend most of their time using different apps on their mobile devices. Increased app use has led to some concerns, for example, entry barriers for new, regional products, as well as less need for text messaging, dulling the effect of SMS marketing.

为什么市场研究很有用

Mobile devices give people the freedom to roam everywhere, opening up new and exciting possibilities for business. Mobile market research is still an emerging trend and one that companies should adopt for several reasons, including the fact that it is convenient and straightforward, and it eliminates the middleman.