Technology research firm IDC came out with its latest forecast about the smartphone market today, and marketers should consider that expected growth will translate into more mobile web access among consumers. The firm anticipates the smartphone market will grow 50 percent in 2011.
IDC says vendors will ship more than 450 million smartphones this year, compared to just 303 million units shipped last year. The steady growth of internet-enabled mobile devices has not gone unnoticed by search marketers or search engines. Google has recently stated that the local mobile market is a priority for the company.
Notably, Google may already have an edge in the rising mobile market. IDC predicts that Android, Google's operating system, will become the leading OS in 2011. Generally, Android devices come equipped with Google search features, and even beyond Android devices, Google dominates the mobile search market.
Research from StatCounter shows that U.S. mobile searches are primarily fielded by Google. The search giant is the market leader by a long shot, representing more than 90 percent of the market. Marketers should optimize their mobile content for Google accordingly.
