I was sharing this information with a client when we were discussing their e-commerce technology and their mobile-enabled website. The statistics are compelling and really resonated with my client. I think they will with you.

There’s no question that locally targeted content and advertising is highly valuable to mobile searchers, which means having a mobile-enabled Web Presence is critical for any local (not just national) business. Because the amount time spent using mobile devices is rising faster than all other media, having the ability to reach mobile consumers should be a high priority for your business.

A recent study from AT&T confirms that the correlation between local and mobile is a powerful thing, citing that 43% of mobile searchers “walk through the door” of a local business discovered via mobile search. Of those, 22% make a purchase. Take a look at some of the stats we’ve collected that validate the need for your local businesses to optimize its Web Presence for the mobile consumer.

1. 63.2 million people in the U.S. own smartphones, a 60% increase from the number of Smartphone owners in 2009.

2. By year’s end, smartphones will overtake feature phones in the U.S. market.

3. iPhones account for 25% of the smartphone market, with over 100 million iPhones sold since June 2007.

4. Mobile engagement doesn’t just happen on smartphones; consumers bought 15 million iPads last year.

5. A higher percentage of local-mobile searches happen on Bing than on Google. Google says 33% of mobile searches have local intent, while 53% of Bing’s mobile searches are local.

6. 40% of Google Maps usage is now mobile, with 150 million mobile users.

7. Social is mobile, too: More than 250 million active users currently access Facebook through mobile, and 40% of all tweets are made from mobile devices.

8. The average iPhone user only spends 45% of his on-device time making voice calls. That means over half of smartphone time is spent using apps, email, and the mobile Web.

9. In 2010, the average user spent 50 minutes per day using a mobile device. In fact, mobile is eating up time previously spent on print media like newspapers and magazines.

10. Mobile web use will surpass desktop Internet use by 2015. This includes the use of web-enabled devices such as smartphones, tablets, GPS systems, and e-readers.

What do these upward mobile trends mean for you as a consumer? As a business owner?  Have you invested in a mobile Web Presence to reach consumers using smartphones and other mobile devices to search and socialize?

Jim Thomas handles business development focused on the Lodging, Leisure and Gaming industries for RedPriairie.  RedPrairie delivers competitive advantage with technology solutions that optimize activities through all layers of an organization, ensuring that the right goods reach the right people at the right time.

You can reach Jim at jim.thomas@redprairie.com