Facts About Mobile That Affect Your Online Strategy
A few years ago when internet-capable smartphones began gaining popularity, most people shrugged it off as a fad. The vast majority of businesses continued to focus solely on traditional computer users when building their websites & developing online marketing strategies, because investing in mobile seemed like an unnecessary expenditure for such a small group of users. Now that it’s 2011 and the future is clearer, it’s time to reconsider this approach.
Mass market adoption
Mobile internet usage is booming as more consumers get their hands on iPhones, iPads and Android devices. An infographic from earlier this year – shown below – illustrates a number of surprising facts. The biggest jawdropper? In less than three years, mobile internet usage is expected to surpass that of traditional computers. That means your customers will be more likely to visit your website on a phone or tablet than on a Mac or PC.
The future is now
Even today a sizable chunk of your audience is using a mobile device to find information about your organization. Right now one-half of all local searches are performed on mobile devices, with most of them leading to immediate action. Smaller businesses have a fantastic opportunity to make a splash by focusing in this area. And it’s not just people on the go; multiple studies have shown that a majority of current mobile internet browsing is done at home.
Get involved in social
If there’s one thing to take away from this research, it’s the large role social networking should play in an effective online marketing strategy. Over one-third of Facebook’s users are mobile, in addition to more than one-half of Twitter’s user base. YouTube video views are skyrocketing on phones and tablets, too. It’s incredibly important for businesses to be involved in social media to remain relevant as consumers purchase millions of new mobile devices and spend even more time using these services.
