General Mobile Marketing Stats
1) Today, there are 5.11 billion unique mobile users on the planet.
(DataReportal)
The number has grown by 100 million since last year – a little over 2% – and it isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Bear in mind that there are 7.53 billion people in the world. With such a large number of them going mobile, businesses will have a lot of opportunities to reach consumers through clever marketing strategies.
2) 85% of internet users owned a smartphone in 2017.
(Smart Insights)
Smartphone ownership statistics show us that most people who regularly access the internet own a smartphone. While smartphones are considered advanced technology, it’s easy to find fairly inexpensive devices or even get one for free when signing a contract with a mobile provider. The latest mobile phones are a pricey investment, but almost anyone can get a basic model with ease.
3) U.S. adults spent an average of three hours and 23 minutes per day on mobile devices in 2018.
(Statista)
The average time spent on the phone every day just six years ago was an hour and 22 minutes. Since then, it has more than doubled. Nowadays, many of us spend our work breaks checking emails and social media, and we also like to keep in constant touch with our friends and family when they’re away. As such, consumers and marketers are both becoming dependent on their favorite handheld devices.
4) Americans check their phones 14 billion times a day.
(Deloitte)
If you were wondering just how many times American users pick up their phone during the day, you might be shocked to learn that this number is 14 billion, and rising. Mobile usage statistics show that we’re becoming increasingly dependent on our mobiles and that they’re now an integral part of our lives. Try to remember when last turned your phone off or spent a whole day without checking it. To a lot of people, the very idea is becoming unthinkable.
5) Mobile data traffic around the world was projected to increase seven-fold between 2017 and 2022.
(Cisco)
When WiFi is unavailable, most people rely on their mobile data to access the internet. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of mobile traffic is expected to reach 46%, according to Cisco’s Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast, and connection speeds will be three times faster by 2022.
6) Cellular phone user penetration worldwide is expected to reach 63.4% in 2019.
(Statista)
This is yet another statistic that confirms the whole world is going mobile. According to Statista, almost two-thirds of the world’s population will have a phone by the end of 2019, and that number will keep rising each year. But how many people have smartphones in the U.S.A.? Statista says 265.9 million, and that number is expected to rise to 285.3 million by 2023.
7) Google drives 96% of mobile search traffic.
(SEO Leads)
This is followed by Yahoo at 2% and Bing at 1%. Of course, Google is the number one search engine all over the world, and both desktop and mobile users rely on it for almost all their inquiries.
8) 80% of Alexa Top Sites were mobile-adaptive in 2017.
(Mobiforge)
Alexa Tops Sites is an Amazon mobile site that ranks high-performing websites according to the Alexa Traffic Algorithm. These figures show that in 2017, 80% of the top 100 sites had been optimized for mobile, as were 90% of the top 10 sites.
9) Mobile accounts for 69% of digital media time.
(comScore)
According to mobile marketing statistics, most users now prefer consuming digital media through their phones. Desktop has fallen from favor and accounts for merely one-third of total digital media time. If you want to stay on track and offer the best experience possible to consumers, you have to take this stat into consideration and optimize your website.
10) More than 80% of time using mobile devices is spent in apps.
(SmartInsights)
Given the quality of content and easy-to-navigate interface apps provide, it’s no wonder users spend the majority of their mobile time using their favorite apps. They spend the other 20% on their mobile web browser.
11) Mobile accounts for 72% of U.S. digital ad spending.
(eMarketer)
Mobile marketing stats show us that marketers are fully aware that the majority of consumers now spend most of their internet time on their phone. Ads that target mobile users are becoming more effective, so companies need to start investing in this approach if they want to stay at the top of their industry.
Mobile vs Desktop
12) Mobile devices accounted for 73% of web traffic in 2018.
(Zenith Media)
According to Zenith’s Mobile Advertising Forecast, tablets and phones are the primary means of accessing the internet right now. This number has more than doubled from 2011, when mobile internet usage was around 35%.
13) Google is introducing mobile-first indexing in 2019.
(Marie Haynes)
This is happening as we speak. Since most users are switching to phones instead of using desktop devices to surf the net, Google has decided to introduce mobile-first indexing to its search function. This means mobile sites will soon be more important than desktop sites in Google’s algorithm. Optimizing your site accordingly is very important if you want to rank highly on search engines.
14) 60% of respondents check their work email on a smartphone and 14% on a tablet.
(Fluent)
People aged between 18–24 are particularly reliant on their handheld devices—81% of them use their phones to check their work email. Phones are generally a lot easier to use on the go, so a high proportion of consumers use them to stay organized even when they aren’t home.
15) Mobile devices are used for over 40% of online transactions.
(Think With Google)
Checking emails isn’t the only thing people like doing on the go. Mobile marketing statistics show that many people now use their phones to shop online, too. Consumers like having all their favorite online stores within reach at all times. As more and more businesses optimize their websites for mobile, transactions are becoming more frequent.
16) Desktop has a 3.9% conversion rate compared to mobile’s 1.4%.
(Smart Insights)
While people love using their phones to shop, stores don’t always make it easy for them. Most online retailers still don’t have fully-optimized sites, and it’s turning a lot of customers away. If a consumer can’t view a site on mobile, then they’re bound to get frustrated and bounce before making any purchases.
17) 52.2% of all website traffic worldwide came via mobile phones in 2018.
(Statista)
In 2017, this number was 50.3%. For people in many countries, mobile phones are more accessible than desktop devices, so these stats aren’t surprising. The number of mobile web users is on the rise because phones offer us a cheap, easy way to access the web, no matter where we are.
18) 96% of Facebook users access their social media through mobile.
(Statista)
Social media mobile stats indicate that users prefer accessing their Facebook accounts via their mobile phone. U.S. users seem to be abandoning their trusty old desktops, and the change is particularly obvious when it comes to social media usage. Our social life is inextricably connected to our phone, so most users prefer to keep all their contacts and social interaction completely mobile. As such, it’s never been more important to be present on social media with a Facebook mobile site.
19) 92% of millennials own a smartphone, compared to 85% of Gen X and 65% of baby boomers.
(Pew Research)
The younger the person, the more likely they are to rely on smartphone technology. But what about the tablet vs smartphone debate? This is where the stats might surprise you. About 64% of Gen X owns a tablet, compared to only 54% of millennials and 52% of baby boomers. In general, people seem to see a phone as a versatile communication device, whereas most people use tablets purely for entertainment purposes.
20) More than 50% of YouTube video views come from mobile.
(Google Support)
What percentage of video views on YouTube come from mobile devices? Apparently, more than half. More than a billion people watch YouTube every month. This is a huge potential audience for marketers who optimize their ads for mobile devices.