Online searches for handsets see 12% conversion; Blackberry dominates online interest: ViziSense Report

Blackberry phones form 29% of all searches for mobile phones online (searches captured on ecommerce sites) according to a recently conducted research by ViziSense on the "interest in mobile phones online.' The study involved data from ecommerce sites for a period January - April 2011 of all the users who searched for mobile handsets on ecommerce sites. 35% of users searched for Nokia followed by 30% for Samsung and 29% for BlackBerry. Micromax came in a close 4th at 22%.

With the growth of internet penetration, more and more people are using ecommerce sites to assist them in their buying decisions and for great deals.

Search for smart versus other phones: While the overall share of smart phones in India is a meagre 5%, a huge 44% of people show interest in smart phones online vs. the lower end handsets. Given the varied choice, range, applications and features present in smart phones, the 44% number only indicates the important role of the medium in aiding comparisons, decision making and purchases of smart phones online.

Explaining the trends from the research, Amit Bhartiya, GM & VP ' ViziSense commented, " Rampant changes and upgrades in phone models and features has made the internet a very compelling medium to help decision making around buying phones. As the largest buyers lie in the TG of 15 ' 24 year olds across the country, Blackberry seems to have a done great job in capturing the imagination of this audience in a market infested by smart phones."