Mobile Web Usage: Sharing content on the move

mobileIn the recent past, exploring the Internet was mainly done through personal computers. Today, this may still be the case. But in a few years, this may no longer be the case. The use of mobile devices, such as Smartphones and tablets, has increased exponentially, and experts predict that this year mobile will overtake desktop web usage.

Google predicts that there may be a mobile device per person by the year 2015. This is a bold prediction, especially because 2015 is only two years away. This is not, however, very far from reality. After all, according to experts, mobile searches—or the use of mobile devices to search information, data or content on the Internet—have quadrupled since the year 2010. More and more people are beginning to use Smartphones instead of the personal computer to access the Internet, engage in Social Media and do other online activities.

The past few years have also seen the rise of social media. In 2013, experts see the rise of mobile devices as a main tool for social media. Online communities and interaction have been shifting from the PC to mobile devices. These social media platforms have thus quickly developed mobile versions of their sites.

As far as businesses are concerned, experts project that their online presence will continue to evolve, and it will be in the direction of mobile devices. Google studied the presence of businesses in the mobile web, and it discovered that 66% of customers who like a company or brand visit the websites of these brands through their mobile devices. Of these customers, 52% said that they are less likely to engage a brand if they are not satisfied with their mobile web experience with these companies.

Experts estimate that it takes an average mobile web user merely 5 seconds to wait for a website to load before abandoning it. This means that companies with websites or that have a social media presence have even lesser time to engage potential new customers who use mobile devices to surf.  However, if companies successfully engage mobile web users, they’ll be more likely to retain them as a customer.

The old adage in business that says the customer is always right is still relevant for companies who want to enter the brave new world of mobile web usage.

image credit: Google – The Mobile Playbook

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