How important is mobile in hospital marketing for 2012?

Consider these statistics:

• There are now over 90 million smartphone and 24 million tablet users in the US.
• In the last 8 months, the share of shoppers buying on mobile devices doubled.
• Nearly 20 percent of all consumers now use mobile devices to shop.

Numbers don’t lie. Clearly, mobile sites and apps are gaining widespread adoption quickly and are a part of every one of our client’s 2012 media plans. If you’re not including mobile in yours, you could be missing out big time.

When contemplating developing a mobile app, which platform should you be paying the most attention to, Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android?

According to a recent study by eCommerce company RichRelevance, while Android devices are currently outselling Apple iPhones, iPads and iPod touches, retail sales from Android devices pale in comparison. In the six week period from November 1 to December 18, 2011, Apple mobile devices accounted for 92% of all online non-desktop retail sales. Apple owners also spend more per transaction ($123) than Android owners ($101) and desktops ($87).

Clearly, Apple’s iOS is currently to mobile what Google is to search: The standard to follow.