KUALA LUMPUR: Google Malaysia has called on businesses to venture into web-based or mobile-optimised site or application as consumers purchasing behaviour has shifted to multi-screen trend.
Google Malaysia managing director Sajith Sivanandan said roughly 100, 000 businesses in the country are web-based or mobile-compliant, a small number comparing to the overall 700,000 small and medium companies operating here.
“In Malaysia, 35 per cent of consumers use smartphones exclusively to access internet and no other devices, making Malaysia the first country in the world to exclusively use smartphone for internet access," he said at a media brief on The Consumer Barometer 2014 survey.
The survey is a joint intitiave between Google and TNS providing insights into digital consumer trends and attitudes in 2014.
The survey indicated that Malaysia is one of only five countries in the world where smartphones usage is higher than computers at 51 per cent versus 39 per cent. The other countries are China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore.
Sajith said consumers mostly dependent on the Internet research before making purchases. A total of 81 per cent respondents used online sources before buying, 20 per cent became aware of products and offers online and 32 per cent purchased goods online.
"This is a massive wake up call to any business in Malaysia. Without a mobile optimised site or application, their business is no longer a viable approach." Sajith added.