The Key Figures in Mobile Use Worldwide

Every year for the past ten years has been predicted to be the year of mobile. However, that year has already come and gone! 2014 was the year that the key figures in mobile device use exceeded that of traditional computers. In other words, a minor revolution at the time, leading to what now seems to be a normal situation.

Between the development of 4G in most of the world?s countries, smartphones and tablets with improved performance, power or accessibility, and the breakneck speeds at which developing countries are catching up in terms of infrastructure and technology, the web is mainly accessed through mobile.

However, communicating effectively on mobile requires a clear strategy and specifically designed solutions to reach the right person at the right moment. Do you think you?re ready?

Mobile Advertising: a Rapidly Growing Vehicle for Success

With 101 billion dollars spent worldwide in 2016, mobile advertising is developing quickly: +46% in a year. In many countries, particularly developing countries, mobile continues to be the main screen that users always have to hand. It?s not surprising then that advertisers are investing where they can find their potential customers! Huge investments have been made, primarily in North America (42%), Asia (31%) and Europe (17%).

Mobile Shopping: a Slowly Forming Habit

Meanwhile, mobile purchases are becoming more democratic. Brands have made great efforts in payment processing (Apple Pay for example) or user experience, and users buying goods or services from a mobile device has been steadily rising to reach 38% on average.
Currently, there are even certain countries hovering around the 50% mark, such as China, India or South Korea. Where every other mobile user makes purchases via their telephone. An encouraging trend, and an immense progress margin for the big brands.

Key Figures in Mobile with Strong trends

Usage evolves quickly on the web, and this is especially true for mobile. Everybody is in agreement in saying that mobile will be the primary growth driver in advertising and that spending is going to accelerate.

A well-structured market with Key Figures in Mobile

It must be said that industry has learned from its past mistakes. While ad-blockers may make life hell for advertisers on desktops, only 0.3% of mobile users use an advertisement blocking system. A real avenue is therefore left open in a bipolar model, with Google on the one side and Apple on the other. The two American giants are creating standards in terms of navigation, user experience and opportunities for growth. Android continues to vastly dominate the market, with 83% market share, as opposed to 14% for iOS. The presence of Windows Phone and Blackberry still remains relatively unnoticed.

Social networks reign supreme

They are the kings of mobile, or perhaps more specifically it can be said that there is an emperor and a few lords fighting for existence. 90% of mobile users visit Facebook, followed very far behind by Pinterest with 7%, then Twitter with 4%. Facebook, therefore, remains the real winner of the sector.

The large body data collected by Facebook or Twitter offers brands serious firepower: multiple formats, advertising solutions and an explosion of native video. With an annual growth of 20%, video advertising on social networks is a way to create engaging storytelling, adding value to a brand in a way which reaches a receptive and open community more or less directly.
Depending on your economic model and your aims, other tools also offer real growth potential, with an increasingly large opening for advertisers on Instagram (which remains a purely mobile player despite a desktop version with limited functionality) and Snapchat (a 100% mobile social network).

Mobile searches are in good shape

Despite the majority of time spent on a mobile device being dedicated to applications, the search function still plays an important role, and Google remains a staple (even more so on Android, of course). Using increasingly precise Adwords campaigns, driven by a compilation of numerous data sources (search history, page views, geolocation) and the effectiveness of programmatic marketing, Google is a major player in mobile advertising. Mobile adwords is precise, fast and often more relevant than on desktop due to mobile?s very nature: it?s a device which is always to hand and which can be checked over a hundred times per day.

Email is still alive and well

Mobile and email have a long history starting with the first smartphones. Ever since, checking emails is often the first reason to check a mobile device. However, email is one of the most powerful means of generating and capturing leads. Whether it?s a regular newsletter, a special offer, an invitation, a promotional sale or an invite to use an application or service, sending an email with an adapted design, a clearly defined message and a properly focused strategy is an efficient channel of communication when using a carefully crafted database.

Adaptive content and adaptive advertising

Adapting a design for a mobile phone or tablet format is perfectly fine. The design and layout are customised and the UX and UI aspects are integrated. Nevertheless, you can go much further in terms of customisation.

First of all, the content. Based on stored and analysed data, you are able to know what you visitor is looking for, and this puts you in a position to offer them content, a video or a landing page appropriate to their needs. Adaptive content allows for the customisation of the experience had when using an application or website by carrying out adjustments which allow you to capitalise on the profiles of your buyer personas.

Finally, advertising. Depending on your aims, you can offer an advertisement which has been tailored both in terms of shape and substance by creating different categories. Certain prospective customers will need to be reassured by more minimalist formats, while others want impactful or interactive formats. Displaying the right advertisement at the right time to right person on the right device, therefore, becomes a guarantee of success for your mobile advertising campaign.

Mobile usage is steadily evolving, which is why it?s important to find the right partners to support you in your strategy. In-house or external experts who can provide the keys to understanding, constructing and developing mobile campaigns relying on effectiveness and relevance. In 2017, mobile ROI should more than ever be one of your core concerns.