SuddenDeals.com: We're Growing!

Here's a quick snapshot of where things are at SuddenDeals.com...

Over the last month we've experienced a 50% increase in site conversions (visitors/signups). This was ahcieved largely to a local ad we placed inviting public beta testers.

Additionally, the number of deal requests has increased by roughly 30-35%.

Our user demographics, to date and,as provided by new SuddenDeals users when creating their account look like this:

Sex
M - 55.98%
F - 44.02%

Age
14-19 - 2.87%
20-25 - 17.70%
26-31 - 18.18%
32-37 - 16.27%
38-43 - 16.75%
44-49 - 11.00%
50-55 - 11.00%
56-61 - 4.31%
62-67 - 0.48%
68-73 - 0.48%
74+ - 0.96% (really?! :-)

Ethnicity
African - 0.48%
African American - 3.35%
Asian - 2.39%
Caucasian - 54.55%
Hispanic - 1.44%
Indian - 1.44%
Mediterranean - 0.48%
Middle Eastern - 1.44%

Nielsen says mobile ads growing, consumers respond

A few excerpts....

"About 23 percent of U.S. mobile phone users have seen advertising on their cell phones in the last 30 days and about half of them responded to the ads..."

"The number of phone users who recalled seeing mobile ads rose by 38 percent to 58 million in the fourth quarter compared with 42 million in the second quarter"

"14 percent said they were open to ads as long as they were relevant to their interests,"

Read the rest at Reuters

"I don't use calls on my phone," Ortega said. "I just text."

In the very near future, the number of used cell minutes is likely to decline substantially in relation to the number of text messages sent. This is already the case but we see an enormous shift ahead.

Trends: Teens and text messaging
Cell phone users ages 13-17 our using text messaging instead of cell minutes. Cell phone providers know this. Hence, providers are raising text message prices in order to capture as much revenue as possible right now. Why? We have a theory...

Psychology 101 for Teens.

1. Independence is the ultimate goal of adolescence. One of the simplest ways to achieve a sense of independence is to maintain one's privacy.

Text messaging and the "language" of texting allows teens to maintain a sense of individualiity and cohesion. The entire "group" that is the teen population can communicate in one language that parents simply do not understand. Similarly, teens can congregate at online social networks and communicate en masse using their MySpace, Facebook or Friendster pages and bulletins.

The choice to text message their friends rather than call, meets a number of needs but most importantly, texting keeps things "private" and reinforces feelings of independence.

What does this mean for text messaging trends in the future?

This generation of teens will grow into a robust consumer base of text message users (not email users like those before them) and they will replace email with text messaging as their primary point of contact.

This chart below reflects this trend. The users are 18-20, college educated and use social networks and text messaging more than any other medium.

One can see the generational trends at the far right showing Freshman primarily utilizing social networks and text messaging over other forms of communication.

There are no signs of this trend reversing.

Mobile Ads: Not So Fast

Mobile advertising revenues aren't growing as fast as expected, and that could spell trouble for a bunch of venture-funded startups.

Realistically, no matter how often you see people checking e-mail on a BlackBerry or surfing the Web on an iPhone, the vast majority of consumers are just beginning to use their phones for functions, other than calling, that are conducive to ads. Today, only some 16% of U.S. wireless users access the Web on those devices at least once a month, according to JupiterResearch.

Read the rest at Businessweek.

Text messaging will replace email & Texting in S.C. Soars by Almost 500 Percent

It's no secret that text messaging is going to replace email for those ages 14 -18.  College Freshman in 2007 use text messaging more that any other form of communication next to social networking websites. Text message advertising is an inevitability.

 SuddenDeals allows the consumer to control the relationship with the brand.

==========================================

500%. Wow! But not surprised.

"A new study, commissioned by Verizon (News - Alert) Wireless, shows incredible growth in text messaging in South Carolina and the South.

 

The study, "Big City Wireless Use Study," reveals an increase in text messaging among the company's South Carolina customers by nearly 500 percent in 24 months, from April 2006 to April 2008, making it among the most text-savvy state in the South."

"In fact, according to a CTIA (News - Alert)-The Wireless Association evaluation, text message sending and receiving jumped from 14.4 million in 2000 to 48.1 billion in 2007."

Read the rest at TMCNET.com

Cell phone promotions and alerts begin gaining U.S. momentum.

Visitors to V's Martini Bar in Clearwater have their fingers on the pulse of 21st century marketing - coming soon to a cell phone near you, if you haven't seen it.

"It works great," said Vincenzo Longo, the bar's owner, who for a year has been using text-message marketing to tell his clients what's new at the V. "Nobody complains, and it's cost effective."

Longo sends short messages to the cell phones of about 450 of his customers once or twice a week, telling them about drink specials or upcoming events. Sometimes they get a coupon for a free drink. At 8 cents per message, it doesn't take too many customers buying that second drink for Longo to get his money back.

"While European and Asian cell phone users have let advertisers send information to their mobile phones for years, the practice is only now catching on in the United States."

Read the rest at SPTIMES

To US Cellular: We feel like this too.

SMS Still Dominant Data App

"Text messaging continues to be the overwhelming data application used on a regular basis, says Yankee Group (News - Alert) analyst Patrick Monaghan."

"On a daily basis, teens between the ages of 13 and 17 use text messaging more than they place voice calls. About 63 percent of teens stated that they send text messages minimally once per day compared to 61 percent who say they make voice calls."

"On a weekly basis, 45 percent of all respondents with mobile phones use text messaging while other data applications."

Read the whole story from Tmcnet.com

China Mobile Phone Subscribers Pass 600 Million Mark

The number of mobile phone subscribers in China reached 601 million at the end of June, according to government figures.

The nation added 8.63 million new users in June, for an official total of 53.5 million new subscribers so far this year, according to China's Ministry of Information Industry. The figures also show that China and India are racing neck and neck in monthly subscriber additions.

Read full story at PC World

No business is too small for text message marketing. Small business text messaging.

SuddenDeals.com allows any business, of any size, to immediately launch a text message marketing campaigns. Using SuddenDeals.com, businesses can reach hundreds or even thousands of local consumers who are actively searching for deals in their business category.

More and more consumers are using their cell phones for surfing the web.


"The number surged to 4.17 million on Saturdays, an 8% increase from Fridays and 4% more than on the next busiest day, Monday, according to the study, which tracked behavior by 1,861 U.S. smartphone owners. "

The next generation of consumers is pioneering the mobile web. Learn more below...

Read: Welcome to the Weekend Web

Text messaging - Coupons on your cell phone? Yes, and other great deals!

In April of this year (2008),the New York Times ran a small article on coupons being delivered to one's cell phone. Here's what we find exciting: We felt that local people wanted local deals from local businesses.

"In fact, when JupiterResearch asked consumers which types of mobile-coupon offers would interest them most, a good 70 percent said “none of the above” when presented with a range of options.

Among those willing to give the idea a try, the most appealing offers were discounts at restaurants, at stores of their choosing and at local businesses."

Read the entire article.