According to a recent survey from Pew Internet & American Life Project, “Fully 85% of American adults own a cell phone and now use the devices to do much more than make phone calls. Cell phones have become a portal for an ever-growing list of activities.” This means that mobile phones are no longer just used for the basics of text messaging and calling but they are being used for more things, replacing other gadgets, such as the camera. Here is a more detailed look at the survey mentioned above and its findings, as well as its practical uses for business.

82% use their phones to take photos

It is said that a pictures speaks a thousand words and this could not be any truer with business and branding. However, what can prove to be much more valuable to a business are the instances when their customers do the displaying of their brand for them. One way to make good use of this photo popularity is by being active on Instagram and other photo sharing platforms. You can ask your followers to take pictures of themselves when frequenting your establishment and make sure to use hashtags. Here is one description of more or less the same process by Richard Gray on The Guardian:

“Businesses have realised that mobile photography, through Instagram, provides a new channel for effective visual advertising, and are making use of the social media platform in two ways. The first method is to open an account under their own name and simply feed photos to their followers.”

56% use their phones to go online

“As far as why, Pew found that 64 percent of cell Internet users who say they mostly use their mobile device claim it’s because it’s convenient and always available.” –Lee Rannals for RedOrbit

One practical business application of this phenomenon is to make sure your company has a mobile website so that your customers can easily go through your site even when they are not on their computers. Along that vein, make sure that you are easily found on listings, such as Facebook Places or Google +Local so that people can find you. Also, make sure your details on the aforementioned listings are up to date and accurate.

31% use their phones to look for health information

Ken Terry on InformationWeek explains it best:

“Nearly a third of cell phone owners used their phones to look up health information in 2012, compared with 17% two years earlier, according to a new survey by the Pew Internet Project. But the percentage of cell phone owners who used mobile health applications remained at about 10% over the last two years, Pew reported.

Fifty-two percent of smartphone users sought health information on their mobile devices, compared with just 6% of non-smartphone owners.”

With such a large increase just from the previous year, it is clear to see just how important it is for any business to have content on their site that is designed with the mobile phone user in mind. This is especially true for businesses in the health sector since the availability of new studies and other relevant information may do wonders for them. This can help the public generate better health companies by improving their performance through feedback.

It does not matter what industry you are in. The mobile phone has changed the way companies do business and by making a few adjustments, you can optimize your company’s potential.