Estate agents have emerged as leading lights when it comes to using smartphones to help their businesses.
Research by the T-Mobile Business team among over 1,000 ‘micro-businesses’ – those with up to nine staff – found that agents, cleaners and hairdressers were the most adept at using the technology to give them greater visibility to customers and potential clients.
Almost two-thirds of agents (64%) use smartphones in this way, against a small business national average of 46%, and 75% say they have seen clear benefits.
One quarter of agents have also registered their business on Google Places, so that their business appears on Google Maps, against a national average of 16%.
Martin Stiven, vice-president of Business at T-Mobile, said: “Estate agents are tackling challenges head-on by taking advantage of the opportunities that mobile internet can bring to their business.
“By engaging in mobile search, these small businesses are cutting the risk of being overlooked as part of the ‘hidden High Street’.”
Comments
These figures are a load of tosh.
Google places is all well and good until something needs amending - takes absolutely bloody months!
My smartphone (HTC Desire, now OneX) has certainly helped me keep things going when i'm out of the office, the touch screen keyboard will always be a pain though.