According to a 2011 B2B Technology Collateral Survey Report by Eccolo Media, nearly four in 10—or 37 percent—of US corporate technology decision-makers say they have recently consumed collateral via a mobile device. Of those respondents, 33 percent reported viewing content on a smartphone and 16 percent reported using a tablet.

When asked about frequency of viewing collateral materials, 30 percent of respondents said they consume mobile content on a weekly basis, while 34 percent estimated several times a week and 23 percent said several times a month.

Although business executives have joined the mobile revolution, the traditional desktop remains the popular choice. In fact, respondents stated that they are reading the following at their desktops:

• 56 percent of white papers
• 58 percent of case studies
• 53 percent of product brochures/data sheets

Another factor of note, downloading and printing was also more widely reported than mobile viewing. So, even though mobile technology has transformed the world, business leaders still need and want to see hard data on a desktop versus a screen that’s the size of a deck of cards.

Make no mistake about it. Mobile technology has definitely made certain tasks easier and more convenient for business owners and consumers alike; however, in the business world, people can’t afford to make an error because the screen posed a viewing challenge, or their fingers moved too quickly while dashing off a quick approval and juggling a phone call.

But as B2B technology companies, how do we marry the practicality of the desktop with society’s increasing love of mobile technology?  Please share your comments and real-life experiences of the perfect B2B tech marriage with us.

Learn more about the survey findings here.

A recently posted Oracle/AGT white paper claims that 29 percent—that’s every three in 10 U.S. consumers—made at least one purchase via mobile device.

While you’re thinking about that figure, add this surprising statistic to the mix: 43 percent of consumers aged 33-54 expressed interest in making a mobile purchase while physically present in a store. (The number climbs for the younger set to 56 percent (aged 18-34) and is even impressive among Americans aged 55 and up at 19 percent.)

That means they would rather bypass the salesperson on the floor and simply click to buy on their own. Still, according to the New York Times, only two percent of sales are made over mobile devices.

The numbers aren’t quite adding up and a big part of the reason is because many company websites are not mobile shopper-friendly.

So is your website mobile-ready? Consider Alibris, the book selling company. In the NYT article, Alibris held off on introducing a mobile site until late 2010, when mobile visits to its regular website were rising so much that it had no choice.  “When you transform a giant PC screen onto a little device, you have to decide what not to bring along,” said Jeanie Bunker, general manager of Alibris Retail. “So we basically stripped out all the things we thought were not relevant to the mobile user.”

Retooling your website or creating a specific one for the mobile crowd does not need to be a labor-intensive project.  But you should start discussions and planning now, so you don’t miss out on the billion dollar growing marketplace.

If you need help mobilizing your business site, check out www.siteminis.com. In full disclosure, we are proud to have Siteminis as an Arketi client!