comScore: Consumers now mapping smartphones

Researchers found that about 14% of mobile subscribers visited a mapping site on their smartphone or mobile device in April. That is more than 33 million consumers logging on to the mobile web for mapping information, good information for local businesses to have going forward.

Why? Because while most consumers are mapping vacation destination, many are also looking for restaurants, shopping districts or other commerce destinations. Targeting those consumers through a highly-targeted campaign makes sense for local marketers, whether in a heavily trafficked tourist destination, a regional city or a smaller town.

“People are increasingly turning to their mobile phone for maps and directions when on the go,” said Mark Conovan, senior vice president of mobile for comScore. “With summer travel season upon us, we expect even more mobile users to access both maps and location-based local search to help them navigate and find geographically relevant information.”

What types of maps are the most popular with traveling consumers?

• Graphic maps with turn-by-turn directions (60%)
• Graphic maps minus the turn-by-turns (50.6%)
• Turn-by-turn directions minus the graphics (46.8%)

Smartphone map access increased by more than 175% year over year according to comScore’s numbers with nearly 12.7 million accessing maps via smartphone apps. Nearly 9 million accessed mobile maps via a smartphone browser, a 93% increase year over year. Where are these consumers connecting? In their cars, primarily (87%) with 17% of exercisers (while walking, jogging, biking) connecting to maps. Nearly 17% of public transit users access mobile maps.

Those connecting in-car are potentially the most interesting users for marketers. Because these mobile users are connecting to maps in their cars it is logical to assume that GPS systems may be on the outs with this particular group. That is one more reason to hyper-target an advertising campaign to mapping web and mobile sites.