Mountainous Growth – Mobile

In case you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last few years, you’ve continued to see the mountainous growth of the iPhone, Smartphone and now the Tablet.

I came across an article in eMarketer outlining the penetration and growth of both the Smartphone and the Tablet, from 2011. The article provides insight on the volatile growth of the tablet. Tablet growth has exploded almost tripling from 20% to 64% since 2011 and is up 33% since 2012. These are big increases, make no mistake.

What is more revealing is that those in the age bracket of 18-34, 35% named the smartphone and tablet as their entertainment platform of choice. 34% indicated that the laptop or PC was the primary platform and even more amazing 21% named television. Click here to read more.

The article estimates that there will be almost 208 Million US users in 2014 and that means that there will be a 64% penetration of the overall US population. What exactly does this mean to you, your brand, and your website? Plenty.

It’s time you upgraded your web or Internet strategy, we would now refer to this as mobile strategy today. But the truth is that you need to evaluate your digital strategy. One area is responsive design, but before you begin upgrading your website, you need a solid strategy.

The opportunity provided by the smartphone and tablet access mean that your customers are online, ready to buy. As such, your marketing and digital strategy needs to embrace these new opportunities. Is a website redesign the correct next step?  Generally, I’d suggest that a landing page strategy may in fact be more appropriate for you and will provide better results.

Don’t feel like you’ve missed anything as of yet. Things are moving fast, continue your climb, continue to watch what your consumers are doing, watch what your competitors are doing and really embrace the user experience on mobile.

Marketers, I really urge you to get in the trenches, our team approaches your online strategy from the user experience and today that means using and interacting with the smartphone and tablet. Google has nailed it with great tools like “click to call”.

As well, the data being provided indicates that 63% of tablet owners use their tablets while watching TV. Even more amazing the total percentage of two screen viewers is over the 40% rate.  This is the NEW way that information flows.

I’m going to cover two-screen viewers in a later blog, but while watching Television, people are checking their emails, viewing websites, playing video games, downloading apps, reading digital magazines or e-books, text messaging, watching videos, and listening music or audio broadcasts.

The take away here, you really need to decide and get moving. It all starts with strategy and putting yourself in the users place. This changing environment is more akin to climbing a mountain than a ladder. You don’t have a choice, it’s time you get your mobile on, the smartphone and tablet march will continue.

Michael Bickerton, Raven5 Ltd, Oakville, Ontario October 2013

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