Google unveils Mobilize for SMEs to explore m-commerce

Talking at a press conference ahead of the search giant’s Think Mobile event in London this afternoon, Ian Carrington, mobile advertising sales director for Google, introduced the ‘Mobilize’ tool for the first time in the UK. 

The tool, which will be made available around the world, offers advertisers a range of templates for mobile sites. These include: restaurant; local business; lead generation; social; ecommerce and custom, which allows users to design their own site.

Mobilize is also integrated into Google Analytics, allowing users to monitor the traffic on their site.

He said: "Mobile sites are still a barrier m-commerce. We're hoping to help businesses take advantage of this mobile opportunity with the new tool."

Carrington also used the event to present some recent Google research that shows that 53% of smartphone users in the UK are 'dual screen', using their mobile phones while watching TV or using a computer.

He said that 24% of smartphone users in the UK are actively using their phones in-store to compare prices and specifications of different products, while 28% already have made a purchase on a mobile.

The business potential of making websites ‘mobile ready’ was a main theme to emerge from last year's Think Mobile event in London.

Today, Carrington said that only 17% of businesses have mobile ready sites, but with smartphone ownership up 38% year on year in the UK, must be mobile ready.

When questioned, Carrington stressed that Google recommends SMEs build mobile-ready sites and then only if it's a success explore making more expensive apps.

This article was first published on mediaweek.co.uk