Tag Archives: research

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Interesting Mobile Facts

Forrester’s research shows that the mobile Internet is starting to become the primary way people access and use the Internet around the world. This is starting to look like what Steve Jobs called the “post-PC” world. Forrester sees potential for growth of mobile commerce. Twenty-five percent of people in the United States have researched retail products with mobile devices but only 9% to 15% have actually completed a purchase.

Pew research chart of tablet owners

The United States is by far the biggest consumer of native applications. Nearly 90% of smartphone users have downloaded an app within the last three months. The United Kingdom ranked second in the survey with 66%, and the next seven countries on the list all come from the European Union.

Pew research chart of tablet ownersAbout 11% of American adults now own a tablet, according to recent data from Pew’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. A large majority (77%) of tablet owners uses the devices daily, and more than half consume news content from the devices. Reading news is a huge part of what people use their tablets for, and as Pew’s report points out, those users are more engaged and often consume more news content than they did before.

The Pew survey also provided a breakdown of users who get their news from native apps as opposed to browsing for content on the Web. Forty percent of respondents said they used the Web browser to access news, compared to 21% who exclusively used apps.

How the native vs. Web app debate will shake out for businesses is yet to be determined. For the time being, businesses that can afford it should probably invest in building both. According to Pew’s research, 31% of tablet owners use both native and Web apps to consume news.

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Consumers Under Age 35 Prefer Apps

Data collected by market research and consulting firm Parks Associates, found that Generations X and Y tend to prefer using mobile applications over Web browsers on smartphones, as compared with older mobile users. This group is especially put off by mobile Web sites not designed for the small mobile screen.

mobile applications

The preference for native mobile applications is growing because apps don’t require users to enter Web addresses or to deal with slow browser speeds. An application can provide a better experience than mobile-friendly Web sites.

When I look at how I use my iPhone, I find I use downloaded applications more often to read information. When I want to look up information, I may use the mobile browser or a search application. It seems to me that native mobile apps will always be preferred when the mobile Web experience (slow loading times, no mobile site) remains poor.

What does this mean for you?

  1. Make sure your existing Web site is mobile friendly.
  2. Consider obtaining or creating a mobile application customized for your agency.
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What Do You Want in Your Next Mobile Phone?

An In-Stat survey asked 1,300 respondents, “What features are desired on your next phone?” The top three responses were better connectivity, better audio, and simplicity.

Here’s a rundown of what In-Stat found in its research:

  • Survey respondents expressed interest in more mainstream features, not “exotic” bells and whistles such as wearables, dual-screen, e-paper, or roll-out displays.
  • Digital cameras, speaker phones, and GPS were the top features on the “ideal phone.”
  • Larger screens with touch sensitivity are already gaining momentum and will continue to gain popularity. Customization of home screens will improve usability, with personalization quickly becoming a must-have.
  • Perhaps the most compelling advancement in user interfaces will be the integration of picoprojectors into phones. Picoprojectors overcome one of the most significant constraints inherent in mobile devices—small screens. The strongest interest was shown in the 25-34 age segment.
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Adoption of Broadband at Home Grows

The latest findings of the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project mark a departure from the stagnation in home high-speed adoption rates that had prevailed from December 2007 through December 2008. During that period, Project surveys found that home broadband penetration remained in a narrow range between 54% and 57%.

The greatest growth in broadband adoption in the past year has taken place among population subgroups that have below average usage rates. Broadband usage among adults ages 65 or older grew from 19% in May 2008 to 30% in April 2009. Overall, respondents who live in homes with an annual household income below $30,000 experienced a 34% growth in home broadband adoption from 2008 to 2009.

Broadband adoption appears to be largely immune to the effects of the current economic recession. More than twice as many respondents said they had cut back or cancelled a cell phone plan or cable TV service than said the same about their Internet service.

The Pew Internet Project’s April 2009 survey interviewed 2,253 Americans, 561 of whom were interviewed on their cell phones.