Mobile-driven shopping is on the rise, with 50% of users visiting a retail location based on search results for local businesses, and over 20% making an online purchase based on mobile search. However, the mobile user has very distinct needs that vary from the typical desktop user in terms of search and conversions.

Understanding what drives your mobile customers to make a purchase – either in-store or online – is essential if you want to make the most of your mobile marketing efforts. Here are three ways mobile search differs from desktop, and what you can do to maximize conversions.

Mobile Users Go Local

The Trend: Location-based searches are one way that mobile users find what they need while they are on the go.

How to Capitalize

Make sure your mobile website includes your contact information in an actionable way. Take advantage of the click-to-call feature available on today’s smartphones. You don’t need to run mobile ads in order to have a click to call feature on your website – the functionality can usually be enabled via simple HTML. Likewise, you can typically integrate mapping and direction features onto your website as well, giving users an easy way to find you no matter where they are.

Mobile Users Want Immediacy

The Trend: Mobile users often use their phones to conduct product review searches and to gather other information (such as pricing) about products they see in store.

How to Capitalize

The last thing you want is for a user to abandon a purchase in your store because they see the same item elsewhere for less – matching competitor’s pricing for local and online shopping is a way to keep these tech-savvy customers loyal.

Additionally, QR codes that link to your website’s product descriptions and reviews can be a quick, simple way to guide your customers’ search habits and give them more detailed information while they are in the store.

With Mobile Ads, It Pays to Be Bold

The Trend: Because of screen real estate, mobile users are more likely to click on the top two ads in any given search.

How to Capitalize

If you do decide to have a mobile campaign, make sure that your ad budget is adequate enough to place well for your keywords. Most users don’t scroll down to see additional mobile ads, and if your ad is consistently in the bottom spot, you may never see the returns you’re looking for in the mobile ad space.

That being said, make sure that you have a separate mobile campaign versus your desktop campaign – and target your keywords towards what you’ve already seen in your mobile referrers, if possible.

Mobile phone use is here to stay, and the ways in which users will continue to search and shop will only broaden as technology advances. Staying ahead of the curve by meeting the needs of your mobile customers while they are on the go will increase conversion rates and give you a head start over the competition.