Consumer demand for mobile value-added services is soaring worldwide. But with a substantial gap between interest in a service and willingness to pay, mobile service providers will have to get smart with their marketing of new offerings, according to a survey by Loudhouse Research.
A substantial proportion of mobile subscribers worldwide already use some services. For example, almost half use their handset to access the internet on a weekly basis, and 30% use mobile banking services.
The survey, sponsored by Sybase 365, contacted 4,167 mobile users worldwide, with 1,552 respondents in Asia Pacific. Subscribers who have had a taste of mobile services, meanwhile, have been left wanting more, with the majority of respondents interested in at least one new service they don't currently subscribe do.
Demand for all categories of mobile services, as well as the existing user base, is strongest in Asia, Loudhouse said. Typically 20% more Asian respondents are interested in mobile services than the global average.
A higher proportion (50% vs a global 40%) of APAC mobile users who are aware of a service are likely to be weekly users of it. And around 47% have already signed on for mobile banking, with an extra 7% indicating their willingness to do so.
Unfortunately for mobile operators looking to capitalize on demand for new mobile services, interest in a service doesn't often translate to willingness to pay.