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Published on Thursday, 04 August 2011 08:45
Mobile internet usage growing rapidly
A report published today illustrates that mobile web usage is increasing exponentially. Over one-third of UK adults now own a smartphone and use it to browse the internet. Apple's iPhone is the single most popular smartphone, but Android devices are growing rapidly. Blackberry's are very popular with teenagers.
The report finds that email is the most common internet use for these smartphones but that general web browsing, especially for sites such as Facebook, is growing rapidly too.
Does this mean you need an iPhone App?
For most websites the answer is probably not. If your website has been built using the most modern standards, it should display reasonably well on most, if not all, smartphones.
That said, if your website is 'graphic heavy' or uses Flash, then you might need to consider having a mobile version developed.
Fewer graphics will mean it will load faster on mobile devices, especially if they are using 3G connectivity. Mobile internet usage also differs from 'normal' browsing in that users want information even quicker than they normally do. This means that stripped down mobile websites often perform better for mobiles users.
Flash is not supported on the iPhone or iPad and can also take a long time to download on 3G. So if your website uses Flash, it is certainly time to consider a non-Flash mobile website.
If you have an ecommerce website, then you might also consider a mobile version or even an iPhone app. These are still early days for mobile commerce but the evidence does suggest that this will continue to grow in importance, and an iPhone app may help differentiate your brand.
What should I do?
Our advice is that:
- you start to monitor your website's analytics reports so that you can judge mobile usage on your own website.
- you test your website on the various smartphones
- you review the technology your website was built in. If your site is old (more than 3-4 years) then it probably was not built using modern standards. If it uses Flash, see if you can swap it out for some other technology.
- you decide when your own 'tipping point' has been reached, when you consider amending your mobile strategy.
What is clear is that doing nothing is not an option.
Call us on Leicester 0116 279 3822 if you would like assistance in developing your own mobile strategy.
