Time to Go Mobile! Embracing a Smartphone Reliant Consumer Base
Web marketing has been a constant in the digital sphere from the pop-up ad to the tailored email, but ough to just have a mobile-enabled website – consumer communication trends have changed the marketing landscape dramatically and knowing how to reach these demographics will make all the difference in the coming years.
Smartphone portals for web access
A key statistic for any marketing department to keep in mind is the dramatic change away from traditional desktop web access to smartphones. According to a recent survey conducted by GfK MRI of U.S. web users, more than 4 in 10 adults lived in a home with a mobile phone with no landline, which represents a 70 percent jump from 2010. These numbers are increasingly compelling when split into demographics, as 64 percent of millennials chose to forgo a landline, while surprising numbers of older generations reported the same thing with 45 percent of Gen Xers and 32 percent of Baby Boomers opting for just a cellphone.
This is a huge change that has only taken place over the past five years, as consumers have chosen to forgo both landlines and even desktops for a smartphone that will handle both communication and web access. A similar poll conducted by Pew Research Center in 2014 found that 1 in 10 U.S. smartphone users had no form of high-speed web access beyond their carrier’s data plan. These smartphone-dependent users are often strapped for cash and instead of paying for multiple web access portals, they usually opt for the one-size-fits-all solution.
Optimizing for the mobile web
With the rising prices of home broadband and the increasing capabilities of smartphones, these numbers are only expected to increase in the near future. Traditional communication methods like landlines and desktop web access will still be relevant, but they are clearly taking a backseat to smartphones and other mobile devices that can perform all of these duties in one package.
Simply put, the mobile sphere is where companies large and small should choose to invest in their digital marketing offerings in the coming years, as the market simply demands it. Mobile marketing is simply the best way to reach today’s consumers quickly, improve client retention and enhance brand recognition to harness a target audience and bring them into the fold.
