A revolution has taken place in the way people access the internet. With all that’s gone on since, it’s somewhat surprising to realise that still as recently as 1995 the only way for most people to get online was via their dial-up connection.
In the years that have elapsed, that once-familiar sound of dial-up has been largely consigned to the depths of memory, replaced by connectivity that can not only be used even when the phone line is busy, but also offers significantly faster speeds and wireless access for multiple devices.
Now, internet accessibility is being revolutionised once more, with smartphones and tablets making it easier than ever to get online, regardless of where in the world they happen to be. There is also a greater variety of choice, with not just the location varying, but the material being consumed and the device on which it has been done.
What are people consuming?
Where content is concerned, the trends can change greatly over the course of one day. During the daytime, for example, consumers are more likely to access the internet via their smartphones, often doing so quickly with one aim in mind. Once the user has done what they set out to do, they’ll often log off and go about their day. Of an evening, however, mobile users are more likely to settle in with their devices; more prone to browsing at a leisurely pace instead of logging on with an objective.
This also means the material being accessed also changes. Daytime, for example, sees a surge in email usage – especially work messages – as employees log on to check the inbox. Then, of an evening, work takes a back seat and mobile users are then more prone to browse retail sites, social networks and the news.
One of the most popular destinations for mobile users, however, remains the social network. Accessing the likes of Facebook and Twitter is significantly more popular on mobile devices than desktops, with 60 per cent of consumers saying a smartphone or tablet would be their first choice of device, compared to the 21 per cent that favoured the PC, according to a study by CCS Insight.
Where is this done?
Despite countless marketers still seeing mobile as playing second fiddle to the desktop computer, sentiment amongst consumers couldn’t be more different. In fact, many consumers across the world see their mobile devices as their “first screen”, making it the go-to ahead of more established devices such as desktops and laptops.
Despite most tablet and smartphone users still accessing their devices at home, the growing prevalence of wi-fi hotspots has also made fast and safe access on the go a much more viable option. This has combined to mean that users aren’t accessing the internet in just their “free time” any more but also their so-called “found time”, such as when they’re waiting for a bus, sat at a restaurant, walking to the shops or waiting for a train. Furthermore, there’s rarely a concern that owners will turn up somewhere without their devices, as they are relied on for calling, texting, accessing maps and other day-to-day requirements.
This time spent browsing the net at home doesn’t mean mobile users aren’t heading online when outside, however. In fact, figures released by the Office for National Statistics found that 83 per cent of adults under the age of 45 had accessed the internet from a smartphone during 2012.
The short answer to ‘where is this done?’ is – quite simply – anywhere people can get online.
What devices are they using?
Smartphones predate tablets by roughly three years, giving them a real head-start where the tech world is concerned. Despite this, however, tablets have proved to be hugely popular and have, according to Adobe, now taken over their older (albeit smaller) sibling. According to Adobe’s study, tablets now account for eight per cent of all page views online, whilst smartphones are responsible for seven per cent.
Whilst the figure is currently rather close, forecasts have said the divide will widen soon as tablets become not only more popular but also accessible to a much larger audience.
Mere ownership of tablets isn’t the only thing seeing an increase, as usage is also rising on these devices. Typically, tablet users visit 70 per cent more pages every time they go online than mobile users do. This is especially beneficial for online retailers, as users delve deeper into their pages and are more likely to convert into actual sales. Not only that, average sale values were also higher on tablets than smartphones, coming in at £154 per order to £85 respectively.
Roughly speaking, Adobe claimed each tablet represents around four smartphones’ worth of web visits.
All this – of course – proves just how fast the world of technology evolves. In the mid-1990s, dial-up was still king, whilst back in 2006 the concept of a ‘smartphone’ still seemed alien. As recently as 2009, the word ‘tablet’ referred only to medicinal ingestants and those slates favoured by characters from the Bible. Now, thanks to the advent of Wi-Fi making the usage of these devices much quicker and easier, it can be with much more than a modicum of excitement that we look ahead to what happens in the coming years.
