What Google Search Told Us About User Behavior Online in India
Spurred by affordable data and smartphones, India is coming online at an unprecedented pace. It’s estimated that by 2020, more than 650M people in India—double the population of the United States—will be connected to the internet.1 As more and more people in India discover the internet and its applications, it's fast weaving into the fabric of everyday life—and a significant portion of the online population is turning to search to look for information and to find answers.
Spanning 11 verticals, the annual Year in Search India report delves into consumer behaviors to uncover what’s top of mind for them and the implications this has for marketers. To find out more download the report.
When it comes to travel, mobile plays an increasingly important role in how digital content is being consumed. In July 2017, 68% of travel category visitors in India accessed content via mobile devices only, and almost two thirds of total digital time in the category is spent on smartphones or tablets. Using insights from comScore MMX Multi-Platform, we take a closer look at some key findings from a recent category analysis:
Travel users in India are highly dependent on mobile devices, with 2 in 3 visitors accessing travel content via their smartphone or tablet devices only in a month.
Across 9 of the top 10 travel sites in India, mobile is the primary platform for users. Notably, cabs booking and ride-sourcing sites OLACABS.COM and Uber are almost exclusively consumed through mobile devices.
Millennials lead the way on mobile in term of time spent in the travel category, with over 70% of their digital time spent on mobile devices.
Inemerging markets, formal banking only
reaches a smallpercentof the population, compared with high
penetration rate for mobile phones. Low
access to financial services and the fact that people in these markets tend to
trust mobile brands more than banks, encourages them to use their device to
carry out financial activities.
Mobile phones offer numerous benefits in emerging markets; they
ensure the safety and security of money, make payments more convenient and
promote M-Commerce opportunities for local entrepreneurs. They also present opportunities for
western companies looking to move into these markets, as well as learning’s for
those who want to implement similar mobile finance models in developed markets.
