In a mobile mad world, the increase in web usage over the last few years is a statement as to just how influential our little devices are becoming. The ever-popular pay monthly plans have played a big role in this surge; including a fixed amount of data to use, it has given people the freedom to view their next Topshop purchase wherever they please.
For businesses, this means a big window of opportunity to increase their sales and website traffic. Failing to adapt to the growing market of mobile web users could result in a disastrous year and leave a Grand Canyon sized gap between you and your competitors.
In May 2012, the number of people accessing the internet through their mobile devices made up for 10% of worldwide internet usage, a figure which had doubled since 2010. Yet, what’s even more fascinating, is that this figure has now jumped up to a massive 28% as of November 2013. That’s a 67% year on year increase, based on the figures from the same period the year before.
In terms of which devices are the most popular, iOS devices lead the way with 47% of internet traffic coming from mobile devices, with Android close behind on 44.4%. With these figures, it isn’t irrational to suggest that mobile could take over desktop internet usage within just a few years.
This increase in mobile influence can only go one way and it will get stronger as the year progresses. If we look at the mobile/tablet war that is raging between Apple and Android, they both want a dominant share and they are willing to do nearly anything to achieve this. The price of mobiles and tablets for low-end users are coming down dramatically, and this can only pave the road for more mobile internet use.
As with the progression of the laptop and the death of the desktop circa-2006, this year we will see tablets really kick in. In 2013, if you were working on the road you most likely used a laptop as a single device; this year however, you will use a tablet for light day-to-day activities and a laptop for heavy-duty work.
With the drastic increase in mobile web traffic, this could well be the year that mobile becomes as influential as desktop web traffic. It’s not surprising either, when you consider the array of uses mobiles and tablets now have; from interacting on social media, to using maps while on the go, not to mention the variety of apps available on smartphones which connect to the internet.
Businesses would be wise to take mobile marketing a lot more seriously in 2014 – it could be a potential goldmine that they miss out on!
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