In recent years, there has been a huge swell in usage of the internet. As technology has become more reasonably priced and easy to access for the general public, people are choosing to organise more and more of their lives online.
It is commonplace now to bank and shop online for the best deals, as well as the popularity of social media meaning that friends and family can keep in touch more easily. In fact, according to OFCOM, almost half of the adult population of the UK now use social networking websites.
Not Just Fixed Connection
It is fascinating to see just how much internet usage has changed the face of how we live our lives within a generation. But we are becoming even closer to being constantly connected, with the recent leaps forward in smartphone technology and increases in the amount of people who go online when they are away from home. The Office for National Statistics states that in 2014 almost 60% of people in the UK were able to access the internet via a mobile phone, a figure which has more than doubled since 2010.
How Do Consumers Use Mobile Internet?
The way that customers research and plan a purchase using their mobile device differs significantly to when using a fixed connection at home. Some will still use the search facility on their smartphone’s browser, but there is a marked preference for the ease and convenience of mobile apps. This is an important factor to take into account when a business is planning its marketing strategy. However, actual conversion rates (when a visitor to a site becomes a customer by completing a sale) are considerably lower than when a fixed connection is being used. One possible reason for this is that some websites can be awkward to access and negotiate using a mobile device, so business owners would do well to ensure that their site is truly user friendly for those using a smartphone.
It is worth remembering though that statistics on app usage may present a slightly skewed picture when thinking about retail purchase figures. Much of the time spent on a mobile internet app may actually be on various social media sites as people keep up to speed with what their friends are doing while they are out and about, rather than shopping websites.
Of course, if you run your own business then the near universal reach of the internet can only be a good thing. You can make sure that your website is up to scratch by employing the professional services of a company such as Webfuel Ltd, whose remit is web design in Nottingham.
Making the most of what your website can do for your business, in terms of reaching out to new and existing customers in order to increase sales, is absolutely crucial in today’s marketplace. It makes sense also to ensure that your site is fully accessible to those accessing the internet on mobile devices.