Mobile Exceeds PC in Internet Use and Search: The Biggest Shift Since the Internet Began

Have you been left behind by the biggest shift in the digital era since the Internet began?

In July 2014 I wrote a Search Engine Watch column reporting Internet access from mobile device usage had surpassed the PC.

Since then, Google reported that mobile search has surpassed desktop search, leaving little room for those not embracing mobile experiences to reach, communicate with, and sell to, customers and clients.

What Mobile Means to Your Business

The website is recognized for its ability to support the organization's bottom line, from operations, marketing and sales to logistics, CRM, and customer service. Mobile inherently offers unique benefits and advantages, such as location, and personalizataion that can significantly improve effectiveness and performance of such programs.

Despite good intentions, many businesses and brands continue to struggle to adapt to mobile in a meaningful way.  The challenge of translating the digital experience to meet the mobile demands of customers increasingly demands more than a responsive website. Depending on the business and their customers, a mobile strategy could call for a mobile app in addition to a full-fledged website, or separate mobile site altogether.

Leadership must strategically approach thoughtful integration of mobile-friendly versions of all mission-critical assets: applications, data, the website, communications, demos, sales materials, customer service, etc. if they wish to remain relevant to all customers. Customers include audiences of the brand; from customers and media, to investors and employees; as explained in my book Million Dollar Websites: Build a Better Website Using Best Practices of the Web Elite in E-Business, Design, SEO, Usability, Social, Mobile and Conversion.

Mobile for the B2C Business

What are consumers doing on their mobile devices?

• 99.5 percent access content/information
• 63.1 access the Internet
• 62.1 percent check email
• 49.2 percent listen to music
• 46 percent play games
• 41.7 percent download and use apps
• 15 percent make purchases
• 15 percent read a book

Results by Online Publishers Association/Frank N. Magid Associates.

In-store activity of retail shoppers makes it more important than ever for merchants to be mobile-friendly. Chances are you have done one or all of these activities with your mobile device.

• 4 out of 10 shoppers worldwide use mobile phones while shopping inside a store to compare prices.
• 4 out of 10 shoppers contact friends or family for advice.
• Over a 1/3 take photos of products they might buy.
• 1/2 shoppers, aged 20-29, compare prices online, while inside a store.
  

Source: GFK

Creating a consistent device-agnostic experience is imperative for survival for any consumer-based business.

“Omnichannel is no longer a choice. It has to be an integral part of a retailer’s overall transformation strategy to meet growing customer needs and expectations,” Oliver Guy, a retail software platform representative told CIO.com.

Mobile and The B2B Business

If you think mobile usage is merely a reflection of consumers logging onto social media, checking email or conducting search, or shopping, think again.

Executives lead the way in mobile adoption, validating the theory that digital assets for a business or brand must serve target audiences 24/7, and not just during business hours.

B2B purchases do not belong only to upper management and the C-Suite, as "The Changing Face of B2B Marketing", a report by Google, reveals.

• Nearly 1/2 of all B2B researchers are millennials

• 64% of the C-suite have final sign-off on B2B purchases.
• 24% of the non-C-suite managers sign-off on B2B purchases.
• 81% of non-C-suiters have a say in B2B purchase decisions.
• 71% of B2B researchers will initiate purchase research with a generic search (making desktop and mobile search performance imperative).
  

A B2B researcher will conduct an average of 12 searches before engaging with a specific brand's website. Google used "Mobilegeddon" to reward website owners with mobile-friendly websites and mobile apps with higher visibility in search engine results.

Mobile devices are actually preferred over the PC's by executives conducting research during and after office hours.*

Once research is conducted, the purchase decision is made.

B2B Decision-Makers Rely on Mobile Devices

• 93 % of executives will purchase that product via the Internet using a laptop or desktop.*

• Google reports a 91% growth in use of mobile devices throughout the B2B path to purchase.

Mobile as No Longer a Competitive Advantage - It is a Requirement

Whether your day-to-day focus is managing the business, marketing, sales,  customer service or fulfillment, being mobile-friendly is no longer a competitive advantage - it is required if a business wishes to compete and grow market share.

As it has been since the dawn of the Internet age, businesses and brands who adapt to meet the ever-changing demands of their customers will be always be winners.

* according to the IDG Global Mobile Survey 2014