9 out of 10 mobile Internet users have accessed the mobile web while at a store, according to a new study from Yahoo and Nielsen. Furthermore, 51% of those users indicate that they make a purchase after doing research on their mobile device. 

"As consumers increasingly turn to their mobile device throughout the day, particularly when making purchasing decisions or even while watching television, marketers have a tremendous opportunity to reach a captive, commerce-oriented audience," a representative for Yahoo tells WebProNews. 

The study found that 50% of in-store mobile web activity is related to shopping. Frankly, I’m a little surprised this number isn’t higher, but the fact remains, people are researching products on their phones even while in-store. This represents a need to research your own competition online and look for ways to make sure customers make the purchase while they’re in your store. They’re already there, so you already have a tremendous advantage. 

On average, 16% of consumers use their mobile phones for shopping research, while 57% among mobile internet users and 41% among non-mobile Internet users expressed interest in using mobile phones for shopping research in the next 12 months, the study found.

One significant finding is that 1 in 5 mobile shoppers who have seen advertising during the shopping process say they always look at it. With that in mind, consider that the things consumers want mobile ads to include are price, product features, and benefits. 

One other random, but interesting finding related to in-store mobile use is that 48% of in-store mobile users take and/or send a picture of a product to a friend or family member. This represents opportunities for customers to attract new customers to your store, particularly if you’re selling unique products. 

Similarly, with so many people using their mobile devices in-store, check-in apps should command at least some of your attention. While usage of these apps is relatively small so far, you can expect them to grow, and they present tremendous opportunities for businesses to not only attract the attention of users of these apps (with special offers), but for friends of those users. See Yelp’s new check-in offers feature. Users can sync their check-ins to their Facebook and Twitter accounts. 

If you do any television advertising, you may want to look at integrating your campaign with some mobile elements as well. The study also found that 86% of mobile Internet users (and 92% of 13-24 year olds) are using their mobile devices simultaneously with TV.