Go mobile and reap big bucks during Ramadhan: Google Indonesia

• 81% of Ramadhan-related searches come from mobile
• Marketers should leverage on the season for business

 
THIS year Ramadhan will start at the beginning of June, and in Indonesia, home to about 200 million Muslims, the Muslim holy month is not just about fasting and praying, it is also about spending.
 
Historical data by the Indonesian Bureau of Statistics (BPS) shows an annual peak in inflation every year at this particular time, implying an increase in spending.
 
In the last five years, the biggest monthly inflation in Indonesia always happens in the month of July, an average of 1.3% compared with an average of 1% in December.
 
December is the “biggest spending month of the year after Ramadhan,” BPS deputy head of distribution and statistics Sasmito Hadi Wibowo told Digital News Asia (DNA) in a phone conversation.
 
The Ramadhan spending pattern is also boosted by the Indonesian Government’s bonus for all employees, known as Tunjangan Hari Raya, according to Sasmito.
 
Best for business
 
Google Indonesia country head industry Henky Prihatna concurred with Sasmito, saying that Ramadhan is the best month for business – but only if companies pay attention to trends and what consumers want.
 
In its annual Ramadhan Insights and Recommendation media briefing last week, Google Indonesia said one key trend is mobile.
 
“Last year, 81% of Ramadhan-related searches on Google came from mobile, which includes smartphones and tablets – this year, we predict it will rise to 90%,” said Henky.
 
Indonesians start searching for Ramadhan-related content, information and goods about two months before the holy month starts; however such searches reach their peak in the first week of Ramadhan and the week of Idul Fitri or Eid al-Fitr (click chart below to enlarge).
 

Google’s YouTube also saw a 13% increase in viewing times on mobile devices during Ramadhan last year, and this is expected to be even higher this year.
 
Online video consumption on YouTube grows steadily from the first week of Ramadhan, and peaks one week before the festive day of Lebaran, or Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Malaysia (click chart below to enlarge).
 

Music, entertainment, and gaming are the top content watched during Ramadhan. However, videos related to food, beauty, and health also rise during the holy month.
 
“Businesses which want to gain more profits and feel the shopping season this year must make sure they push their mobile performance and presence,” said Henky.
 
“People are getting more mobile, and you do not want to miss the moment,” he added.
 
Shopping season
 

Google Indonesia said that during the Ramadhan period last year, travel searches increased by 30%, apparel by 29%, consumer electronics by 24%, data package and telco services by 19%, and smartphones by 17%.
 
This shows what people want to purchase during the festive season, according to Henky.
 
Concurring with Henky was Blibli.com’s senior manager for digital marketing Tabah Yudhananto, who said that Muslim apparel and prayer accessories are two categories that are only popular during the holy month.
 
“People spend big on Muslim apparel and the prayer accessories because it’s a once-a-year moment,” he told DNA at the Google Indonesia media briefing.
 
Blibli.com is targeting a 500% increase in sales for the month of Ramadhan this year compared with last year, by pushing its mobile user interface and making it easy for consumers to conduct mobile transactions, he added.
 
According to Tabah, about 50% of Blibli.com transactions came via mobile this year, compared with 30% last year.
 
“People from outside Jakarta and Java island are driving the mobile-first trend – they would rather use e-commerce than go to big cities for their shopping needs,” he said.
 
Micro-moments to push sales
 
Google Indonesia had a few tips for marketers and businesses, with one of them being to leverage on ‘micro-moments,’ or those spontaneous moments of decision-making and preference-shaping.
 
Identifying customers’ micro-moments is one way to win the market because you will have enough data to craft content or product that suit these customers better, the company said.
 
“First is availability. Mobile is the key, but you need to make sure you have all the information, content and products that your customers need during the holy month,” said Henky.
 
“Second is relevance. If your information, content or product is there but is not relevant to the season, it is not engaging with customers’ passion and interests – they may not continue to the purchase part.
 
“Third is speed. Be quick, make your content and products easy to find on your website and on mobile, and make sure you eliminate unnecessary steps before purchase,” he added.
 
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