HK leads APAC in mobile web use

In Hong Kong, 96 per cent of smartphone users browse the Internet daily using their devices.

That is the highest rate in Asia Pacific, according to a study by Google and Ipsos MediaCT.

An increasing number of Hong Kong people are using their smartphones to shop online or search for product information, says head of sales at Google Hong Kong Stella Cheung.

Ninety-two per cent use their smartphones to look for local information and 86 per cent take action as a result, such as contacting a business (46 per cent) and visiting a merchant’s website or a physical store (43 per cent).

Meanwhile, 90 per cent say they notice mobile ads while 83 per cent use smartphones to search for a product or service after seeing an offline advertisement.

“Smartphones have become an emerging channel for marketing and shopping, serving as an effective platform for marketers to promote their products,” said Cheung.

“Advertisers need to tailor and optimise the mobile experience to effectively reach target consumers.”

The study revealed that local smartphone penetration rate reached 63 per cent in the first quarter of 2013, up from 49 per cent in 2012.

It has also been shown that 77 per cent of Hong Kongers never leave their homes without their smartphones.

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