Canadians no longer only access the internet through traditional computers
In fact, more and more Canadians are using mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets to find information on the web and to purchase products and services online. According to
Stats Canada, "the use of internet-enabled mobile devices such as smartphone and tablets rose from 53% in 2012 to 60% in 2013".
Similarly, a
report released by Google found that based on an online survey of 1,000 Canadians, 56% where using smartphones in 2013, which is up from 33% in 2012 and approximately 8 in 10 smartphone owners said that they don't leave their home without their mobile device. This means that mobile devices are becoming more and more important as the percentage of users who carry smartphones, iPads etc. keeps growing each year.
Mobile devices will replace PCs
Top analyst in the industry are forecasting that within a few short years mobile devices will replace PCs as the most common way to access the World Wide Web. Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner, Inc. says that "mobile phones are a must have and will continue to grow....meanwhile users continue to move away from the traditional PC (notebooks and desk-based) as it becomes more of a shared content creation tool, while the greater flexibility of tablets, hybrids and lighter notebooks address users' increasingly different demands." In fact,
the following table by Gartner shows that mobile phones are expected to dominate device shipments worldwide with 1.9 billion mobile phones shipped in 2014. Ultramobiles, which refer to tablets, hybrids and clamshells will take over the device market with a growth rate of 54% from 2014. On the other hand, worldwide shipments of traditional PCs are projected to total 278 million units in 2014, a seven percent decline from 2013.
Why businesses should make their website mobile friendly?
According to Statistics Canada, based on a sample of 17, 000 1 in 5 businesses had their website optimized for mobile use. A
mobile friendly website may take advantage of features such as touch interaction that may not be accessible on a traditional desktop and is formatted to be viewed on handheld devices. In fact,
Google found that just over 1 in 4 smartphone users had made an online purchase with their handheld device. Of those users, about 50% had made a purchase in the past month and the same number of people said that they shopped on their phone at least once a month. What does this all mean to you? It means that in order to remain competitive you need to have a good mobile strategy and implement it with the latest technology to ensure full impact on your target market of mobile users. A mobile-friendly website will enable you to connect with a growing number of people who will inevitably visit your website on their mobile device. More importantly, having a mobile version of your website will not only look appealing byt will also be effective in converting visitors to customers.
Come visit us if you are interested in learning more about the advantages of having a
mobile friendly website, We are a website development and SEO company serving the Greater Toronto Area. We will be happy to learn more about your needs and offer recommendations.
