1B Smartphones: A Number Too Big to Ignore

A little over four months ago, we launched our new responsive design website. It was a good move. It’s led to more mobile traffic. Analytics tell the story.

In September 2010, 4% of total visits were from mobile devices. One year later, the number had doubled to 8%. By September 2012, it had risen to 11%. In addition to increasing the number of visits, we saw a 50% rise in the time spent on the site between 2010 and 2011, and an astonishing 100% increase between 2010 and 2012.

We can attribute portions of the traffic to more mainstream usage and availability of mobile devices (Thank you, Steve Jobs, for the iPad). Still, comparing the analytics from two months before our new responsive design site to the two months following, we enjoyed a 76% increase in mobile traffic.

How We Compare to National Trends

A recent study on digital content reported the share of mobile web traffic on U.S. sites doubling from 4% in 2010 to 8% by 2012.  That positions Greteman Group’s 11% very favorably. It also shows how important it is to address the mobile customer. Half of all local searches are done on a mobile device, and by 2014 mobile Internet is scheduled to overtake desktop usage.

Question. The world recently hit the marker for the first billion smartphones in use. With an estimated 7 billion people in the world today, are you in a place where you can afford to ignore one in seven people?

A final thought. It took 16 years to achieve that first billion in smartphone users. Mashable just reported that the next billion should take less than three years. We’re a people on the move. Your marketing better be, too.

For tips on where to get started with your website check out our previous blog posts on our website scorecard.

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