Welcome to the future: Digital growth is all mobile-oriented

Announcements about new mobile phone models typically make tech-savvy consumers buzz with excitement, whether they’re talking to their friends or giving feedback via online forms.

Similarly, scanning the crowd in any busy public space should confirm how prominent mobile devices are in today’s society and how dependent people are on them. People often gaze down at screens as they walk, anxiously tapping electronic keypads to send texts or research information.

If you need more credible evidence than what you might have noticed by walking around your community or paying attention to the things that matter to users of your favorite websites, data in a recent comScore report reveals people use mobile devices to interact in the digital realm 69 percent of the time.

Let’s take a look at more insights that help solidify those statistics and build a strong case why your digital growth efforts need a mobile focus.

Mobile-related travel sales have risen 16.7 percent since last year

Convenience is something people crave as they research flights, find out about hotel vacancies and determine distances between landmarks in a destination. It should come as no surprise, then, that money spent on mobile device travel transactions has climbed by 16.7 percent this year, and analysts say mobile will account for nearly half of all travel sales by 2021.

Even if you’re not part of the travel sector, those statistics show how people love to take care of things through handheld gadgets and don’t want to wait until they’re sitting in front of computers. It’s time to assume people will view your content on smaller screens, and design your digital presence accordingly.

People love watching videos on their mobile devices

Perhaps you’ve thought about ways to incorporate video into your marketing plans. If that’s the case, a recent study highlights why now is an ideal time to take action. It polled 21,000 respondents in 42 countries and found 51 percent preferred free, Internet-based videos, such as those from Facebook and YouTube, versus 48 percent who would rather watch paid, over-the-airwaves content.

These findings assert how mobile viewership is on the rise. With that in mind, you may not want to funnel all your advertising dollars into the mobile realm, but at least realize traditional television is losing its impact.

Smartphones have penetrated the market

In 2015, 58 percent of American adults were smartphone users. That statistic is impressive enough in itself, but consider how many people younger than 18 have smartphones. Many frazzled parents load kid-approved content on their gadgets and pass them to frustrated toddlers. As a result, once those youngsters become old enough for grade school, they’re familiar with how smartphones work and can hardly wait to own them.

Turning your attention to the digital sector is even necessary to attract older generations. Contrary to popular belief, information from the Pew Research Center revealed four out of every 10 seniors own smartphones, and the market share has doubled since 2013.

Most people use their smartphones to pass the time

If you’ve suspected people often use smartphones to relieve boredom, a study by Daniel Kruger from the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research confirms it. Kruger found 62 percent of people use their smartphones to pass the time, and 55 percent start using the devices within 10 seconds of arriving somewhere, such as a bus stop or the line at a coffee shop.

Why not capitalize on that idle time with an interactive advertisement that showcases your business? People depend on their smartphones to hold their interest, and you could provide the content to achieve the goal.

The statistics you’ve just read may be surprising but should push you into taking action if you’re still on the fence about whether to care about the mobile sector.

People digest content on mobile devices every day, and the time is ripe to give them something to notice.

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DISCLAIMER: This article expresses my own ideas and opinions. Any information I have shared are from sources that I believe to be reliable and accurate. I did not receive any financial compensation in writing this post, nor do I own any shares in any company I’ve mentioned. I encourage any reader to do their own diligent research first before making any investment decisions.