More than 20 percent of ChaCha.com?s traffic during the first half of 2011 came from mobile devices as on-the-go consumers increasingly look to the mobile Web for quick answers to their questions.

ChaCha.com is a free real-time question and answer service that addresses the unique needs of mobile consumers, many of whom are multitasking. According to a June 2011 user survey, 37 percent of ChaCha mobile users are on the go when asking questions to ChaCha, 28 percent are out with friends and 29 percent are watching television.

?Mobile consumers in search of information exhibit a very different set of characteristics and needs when compared to those seeking info in a desktop environment,? said Sara Camden, senior marketing and communications manager of ChaCha.com, Carmel, IN.

?These mobile users tend to be more time-constrained, often on-the-go in a social setting and looking to make quick decisions about topics like purchases, activities and directions,? she said.

?The format of ChaCha?s free question and answer service addresses the unique intentions of mobile users in search of answers by providing information that is quick, concise and directly addresses their precise question so the user does not have to persistently explore and sift through search results as they are accustomed to with traditional desktop search engines.?

Smartphones are key
ChaCha?s overall page views totaled 260 million in the first six months of the year.

Smartphones accounted for the majority of ChaCha?s mobile Web traffic, with the iPhone having a 36 percent share and Android a 35 percent share. However, with the iPod Touch and iPad users coming in at third and fourth place, respectively, this gives iOS a 60 percent share of ChaCha?s mobile page views.

Smart devices also make up the bulk of ChaCha?s SMS text service.  According to comScore's MobiLens, 51 percent of ChaCha SMS text users are accessing the service via smartphones.

?It?s crucial to note that as smartphone adoption ramps up, so does the use of text messaging,? Ms. Camden said. ?This is contrary to the assumption many mobile marketers make that when a consumer gets a smartphone, text messaging is obsolete.

?You cannot ignore the ubiquity of text messaging, and it must be included in a mobile marketer?s integrated approach for optimum reach and relevance,? she said.

ChaCha has answered more than 1 billion questions since its launch.

The company?s success in mobile points to the unique requirements of the channel.

?The key that marketers need to take note in here is that optimized content and concise messaging is key,? Ms. Camden said.

?ChaCha?s successes prove that you cannot cut and paste or shrink down your content and creative executions to squeeze them into a smaller screen format and expect optimum results,? she said.

?Satisfying the mobile user requires a completely different approach and mindset.?