<div class="container"> <header class="header"><h1><a name="introduction" title="Introduction">iDevices Dominate Mobile Browsing with 84% Share</a></h1> <a href="http://bcm.com.au" target="_blank" class="logo" title="BCM"><img src="assets/bcm-logo.png" alt="logo"/></a> </header><section class="sub-container"><article id="introduction" class="section"><section class="top">Research conducted by BCM has found that Apple mobile iDevices such as the iPhone, iPad and iPod represent 84% of online mobile browsing in Australia. With the exception of Android devices which account for 11% of traffic, all other mobile competitors delivered less than 1% of mobile traffic to websites. Apple is clearly leading the mobile browsing charge in Australia.<br/><br/>In summary, the research uncovered eight major findings:</section><figure><img src="assets/figure1.png" title="8 Major Findings" class="figure1"/><a href="#results.1" title="Mobile traffic accounts for 8.3% of total traffic"><img src="assets/figure1-1.png" class="point1"/></a> <a href="#results.2" title="iPhones account for 60% of mobile traffic"><img src="assets/figure1-2.png" class="point2"/></a> <a href="#results.3" title="iPad second to iPhone: Android trailing behind"><img src="assets/figure1-3.png" class="point3"/></a> <a href="#results.4" title="iDevices account for 84% of mobile visitation"><img src="assets/figure1-4.png" class="point4"/></a> <a href="#results.5" title="Product offerings have 75% higher mobile traffic than services"><img src="assets/figure1-5.png" class="point5"/></a> <a href="#results.6" title="Campaign sites have 65% higher mobile traffic than average"><img src="assets/figure1-6.png" class="point6"/></a> <a href="#results.7" title="Mobile traffic peaks in prime time"><img src="assets/figure1-7.png" class="point7"/></a> <a href="#results.8" title="iPad is the most browsable device"><img src="assets/figure1-8.png" class="point8"/></a> </figure><section class="takeout"><img src="assets/takeout.png"/><article>The following white paper will explore these findings in detail and outline what this means for marketers developing online content for consumers.</article></section></article><article id="background" class="section"><h2><a name="background">Background</a></h2> <section class="top"><p>There's no doubt that the age of the mobile device is finally here after many years of prediction and promise. There was no stronger signal that this time had arrived than late last year when the global shipment of smartphones and tablets eclipsed the shipment of desktop and notebook PC's for the first time<a href="#sources" class="super">1</a>.</p> <p>Research released recently by Google indicates that 37% of Australians now own a smartphone. This means Australia has the second highest penetration of smartphones behind Singapore<a href="#sources" class="super">2</a>. Additionally, Nielsen reports that 8% of Australians owned a tablet in 2010, with this expected to triple by the end of 2011<a href="#sources" class="super">3</a>.</p> <p>With this surge in mobile devices and ownership came plenty of research around mobile devices and their market share, consumer desire and use. However, there are two problems with most of the available data:</p></section><section class="middle"><ul><li class="middle-1"> <article><h4>1. Mobile research is conflicting and confusing</h4> The range of research commissioned for different purposes and motives paints a very confusing picture of the smartphone landscape to marketers. They are based on a variety of different measures including marketshare, downloads, preference and units shipped rather than the here and now of how consumers are accessing online content from mobile devices. </article><figure><img src="assets/figure2-1.png"/></figure></li> <li class="middle-2"> <article><h4>2. The majority of mobile research is U.S. based data</h4> Not only are the consumption habits of Americans different to Australians, there are also vast differences in the set-up of the telecommunications structure and availability which result in varied mobile uptake and use. </article><figure><img src="assets/figure2-2.png"/></figure></li> </ul></section><section class="bottom">At BCM, we wanted to know which devices consumers are using to access consumer websites right now in Australia. This would help focus our efforts on building for the right platforms and monitor changes over the upcoming years when mobile data consumption will accelerate.</section></article><article id="data-collection" class="section"><h2><a name="data-collection">Data collection</a></h2> <figure><img src="assets/figure3.png"/></figure><section><p>Using Google Analytics, we reviewed data from a number of consumer websites. This included national retailers and franchises, government, FMCG, education, finance, fashion, utility, and B2B websites.</p> <p>These sites were based in, and had offerings in Australia. Each site had at least 1,000 visitors per month. In total, the study analysed over 1.6m sources of online traffic and 140,000 visits from mobile devices.</p> <p>The data was collected over a three month period from April - June 2011.</p> <p>The focus of the data collection was on page visitations.</p> <p>Mobile devices include smartphones, internet enabled phones, tablets and internet connected devices.</p> </section></article><article id="results" class="section"><h2><a name="results">Results</a></h2> <ol><li class="result-1 sub-section"> <h3><figure><img src="assets/no-1.png"/></figure><a name="results.1">Mobile traffic accounts for 8.3% of total website traffic</a></h3> <section class="top"><p>On average, 8.3% of visits to a website are from a mobile device.</p> <p>The highest proportion of mobile traffic was from a campaign site for a fashion brand, with 16% of traffic being mobile. The lowest was from an employment site which had less than 1% of traffic from mobile devices.</p> </section><figure class="figure-1"><img src="assets/results-figure1.png"/></figure><section class="takeout"><img src="assets/takeout.png"/><article><h4>Take out</h4>Mobile traffic is almost reaching the magic 10% mark which will make marketers sit up and take notice. In some instances, mobile traffic accounts for well over 10% of total traffic. Mobile can no longer be ignored and delivering a positive site experience for mobile visitors should be a prime consideration when developing consumer websites and content.</article></section></li> <li class="result-2 sub-section"> <h3><figure><img src="assets/no-2.png"/></figure><a name="results.2">iPhone is Australia's leading device and accounts for 60% of mobile traffic</a></h3> <section class="top"><p>The Apple iPhone averaged 60% of mobile traffic across the websites analysed. It was the clear leader of mobile traffic, with the Apple iPad coming in second with 20% of mobile traffic, and Android devices accounting for 11%.</p> <figure class="figure-2"><img src="assets/results-figure2.png"/></figure><p>The iPhone was the leading mobile device in all but one case. The one instance where the iPhone was surpassed was for a B2B service, where 45% of traffic came from the iPad and 41% of traffic came from the iPhone.</p> <p>The highest visitation from iPhones was from the campaign site of a fashion brand, with three in four mobile visits from the device. The lowest was 41% from the previously mentioned B2B service provider.</p> </section><section class="takeout"><img src="assets/takeout.png"/><article><h4>Take out</h4>Despite all the talk and hype around Android, the Apple iPhone is still the dominant mobile device being used to access websites. The first priority when developing mobile content (especially apps) should be given to the iPhone.</article></section></li> <li class="result-3 sub-section"> <h3><figure><img src="assets/no-3.png"/></figure><a name="results.3">iPad second to iPhone: Android trailing behind</a></h3> <section class="top"><figure class="figure-3"><img src="assets/results-figure3.png"/></figure><p>Second to the iPhone for mobile traffic was the iPad, which represented one in five mobile visits. Android accounted for 11% of mobile traffic.</p> <p>The iPad delivered more traffic to the website than Android devices in three out of every four sites analysed. Android delivered more traffic to some retail, financial and fashion websites.</p> <p>The highest iPad mobile visitation was from a B2B service provider with 45% of mobile traffic, and the lowest was from a fashion campaign website with 5%.</p> <p>The highest Android mobile visitation was from a financial services website, with 16% of traffic and the lowest from an employment site, with 5% of mobile traffic.</p> </section><section class="takeout"><img src="assets/takeout.png"/><article><h4>Take out</h4>If developing mobile content for today's user, a good mobile website will work across iPhone, iPad and Android devices. However, if an app is required, consideration should be given to iPhone, iPad and Android, in that order. If all are not possible, the iPhone should be the first consideration, with further research conducted to establish the needs of the respective audience as Android can occasionally trump the iPad depending on the category.</article></section></li> <li class="result-4 sub-section"> <h3><figure><img src="assets/no-4.png"/></figure><a name="results.4">iDevices account for 84% of mobile visitation</a></h3> <section class="top"><figure class="figure-4"><img src="assets/results-figure4.png"/></figure><p>The iPhone accounted for the highest site visitation by far with 60% of mobile traffic. The iPad was second with 20% of mobile traffic and the iPod was fourth with 4% of mobile traffic. Combined, the three mobile Apple devices accounted for 84% of all mobile traffic.</p> <p>The remaining 16% of traffic from mobile devices was from non-Apple devices. Android stood out from this pack, with 11% visitation, Symbian had less than 3%, and all other devices including Blackberry, Nokia, Samsung, Sony, Windows, LG and Palm contributed less than 1% of traffic each.</p> </section><section class="takeout"><img src="assets/takeout.png"/><article><h4>Take out</h4> <p>After the iPhone, iPad, Android and iPod there isn't a mobile device worth focusing on at this point in time. With Nokia's Symbian devices being replaced by Windows, there are no other platforms delivering over 1% of mobile traffic. It will be interesting to keep an eye on Windows' devices as they are receiving generally positive reviews and uptake which could see them rise above the pack.</p> <p>With 84% of mobile traffic coming from iDevices, this has a serious implication for websites which rely on Flash content. Apple has refused to cater for Flash and recommends HTML5 for rich content. For marketers whose online properties rely on Flash, there should be serious consideration given to replacing this content or developing new destinations for mobile users which are compatible with iDevices.</p> </article></section></li> <li class="result-5 sub-section"> <h3><figure><img src="assets/no-5.png"/></figure><a name="results.5">Product offerings have 75% higher mobile traffic than services</a></h3> <section class="top"><figure class="figure-5"><img src="assets/results-figure5.png"/></figure><p>Half of the test sites were product orientated and half were service orientated. Product orientated sites used the website to showcase product available for purchase online or offline.</p> <p>Product orientated websites had 75% higher visitation on mobile devices than service orientated websites. Sites representing products had an average of 11% visitation – more than 2% higher than average. On the other hand, service based sites had a much lower average mobile visitation, with 6% on average.</p> </section><section class="takeout"><img src="assets/takeout.png"/><article><h4>Take out</h4> <p>Marketers promoting products should pay particular attention to their mobile analytics. With consumers becoming accustomed to the behaviour of using mobiles for research and comparison when shopping for products, it is essential that mobile browsing is considered in the interactive mix for product offerings. There are huge opportunities to link product searches with the current mobile needs of the consumer.</p> <p>On the other hand, we hypothesise that interaction with services is a more planned affair and therefore more desktop suited. However, we also expect mobile growth to continue to grow for service related information. Despite a skew to product offerings, mobile behaviour should be measured and optimised across all product categories.</p> </article></section></li> <li class="result-6 sub-section"> <h3><figure><img src="assets/no-6.png"/></figure><a name="results.6">Campaign sites have 69% higher mobile traffic than average</a></h3> <section class="top"><p>Campaign based websites were considered to be those that were separate to the brand site and were supported with paid traffic driving. This traffic driving included magazines, social media, television, online display and PR.</p> </section><section class="bottom"><p>On average, these sites had 14% of traffic delivered via mobile devices. This is 69% higher than the average of 8.3% of traffic across all websites.</p> <p>Of the campaign sites reviewed, the highest was from a campaign site for a fashion brand, with 16% of traffic being mobile. This website had over 50% of its total traffic directed from Facebook, via both organic and paid impressions.</p> </section><figure class="figure-6"><img src="assets/results-figure6.png"/></figure><section class="takeout"><article><h4>Take out</h4> <p>Mobile is essential to consider in the overall mix when planning an integrated campaign. With users having a mobile at the ready while watching TV, driving a car (sad but true) or reading a magazine, it is often the first port of call to ensure immediate action. If the mobile website is not a good experience, there may not be a second chance on a desktop or PC.</p> <p>Additionally, mobile is crucial for campaigns which are designed to be spread through social networks. With social networks such as Facebook driving over 50% of traffic and social networking being such a popular mobile activity (4 in 10 smartphone owners use their phone for social networking every day<a href="#sources" class="super">4</a>), it is important that the user is linked to a usable mobile site.</p> </article></section></li> <li class="result-7 sub-section"> <h3><figure><img src="assets/no-7.png"/></figure><a name="results.7">Mobile traffic peaks in prime time</a></h3> <section><p>In our research it was found that traffic to websites from mobiles peaked in the evening at prime time, whereas total traffic peaked during the work day.</p> <figure class="figure-7"><img src="assets/results-figure7.png"/></figure><p>We broke total traffic and mobile traffic down by the hour. It was found that there were three distinct spikes to website traffic from mobiles. The first was around lunch time between 12 and 1pm with 5.3% of mobile traffic. The second was in the afternoon between 4 and 5pm with 6% of mobile traffic. The third and largest spike started at 6pm and peaked between 9 and 10pm with 6.5% of traffic. There is a clear build in mobile traffic from the start of the day until drop off at 10pm.</p> <p>This differed to the time of visitation from total traffic sources. The peak for all traffic was in the morning between 11am and 12pm with 6.8% of website visitation. This level of visitation remains considerably steady until 4pm when traffic drops away. 56% of total traffic came during the work hours of 8am to 5pm, however, this timeslot only made up 46% of mobile traffic.</p> </section><section class="takeout"><img src="assets/takeout.png"/><article><h4>Take out</h4> <p>There are three clear activities that correlate to mobile usage: lunch, afternoon commute, and relaxing before and at bedtime. These can be considered more 'personal' time – users are away from their jobs and work computers and are going about their home life. When promoting a product or service that is lifestyle related, mobile should be prioritised when considering a digital presence.</p> <p>Additionally, if a large proportion of the marketing mix promoting an online presence is spent in prime time, mobile should be a key consideration as this is also the peak mobile use (as opposed to all traffic which dips after 5pm). While some of the traffic is from those out and about, a large proportion would be from those couch surfing while consuming mainstream media.</p> </article></section></li> <li class="result-8 sub-section"> <h3><figure><img src="assets/no-8.png"/></figure><a name="results.8">iPad most browsable</a></h3> <section class="top"><p>Looking beyond the site visitations, the iPad can be seen to be the easiest device on which to consume information. Of the three leading mobile devices (iPhone, iPad and Android) which make up over 91% of mobile traffic, the iPad has up to 30% more pages per visit, 44% more time on site and 23% lower bounce rate.</p> <p>iPad users visited 4.1 pages on average compared to 3.2 on Android and 2.9 on iPhone. They spent 2:50 on site compared to 2:42 with Android and 2:24 on iPhone. Bounce rate was 35% on iPad compared to 42% on Android and 43% on iPhone.</p> </section><section class="bottom">As can be seen, Android devices were second to the iPad and better than the iPhone when it came to browsing content once on the site.</section><figure class="figure-8"><img src="assets/results-figure8.png"/></figure><section class="takeout"><img src="assets/takeout.png"/><article><h4>Take out</h4> <p>It's no surprise that users are consuming more content on the iPad as the large screen is the closest mimic to the desktop experience. Interestingly, Android devices outperformed the iPhone in all measurements of content consumption. This could be a sign of things to come for Android's rise.</p> </article></section></li> </ol></article><article id="conclusion" class="section"><h2><a name="conclusion" title="Implications for Marketers">What does this mean for Australian marketers?</a></h2> <section><p>This paper has identified eight mobile behaviours which are unique to Australians as of July 2011.</p> <p>Currently, only half of brand marketers integrate mobile into their marketing strategy<a href="#sources" class="super">5</a>. As the uptake and understanding of these devices increases rapidly, mobile will become not only an essential but an integral part of the marketing mix. It's likely that we will look back in a few years at papers such as these and never understand a time where mobile wasn't key to the communication strategy.</p> <p>So, how can you use these learnings to enhance or start the mobile experience for your consumers? We have developed a simple five step process for Australian marketers:</p> </section><ol><li> <h3><figure><img src="assets/no-1.png"/></figure>Play</h3> <p>Open and interact with your mobile properties from a consumer point of view. Don't navigate as you would from behind a desk, but as you would from a bus or in the street. Can you view the information or is it too complicated? Is it difficult to find the information you're looking for when on the go? Does it work across multiple devices?</p> </li> <li> <h3><figure><img src="assets/no-2.png"/></figure>Analyse</h3> <p>As we have seen in this paper, mobile analytics change dependent on industry, product type and type of communication. Compare your analytics to our benchmarks to understand whether there is an opportunity or room for improvement for your brand. Is your mobile traffic greater or less than our 8.3% benchmark? What pages and information are your consumers looking for from the mobile device? Do iDevices make up the majority of traffic? What time of day does your mobile traffic peak and what activity is this related to? Can your customers easily get information about your products or services?</p> </li> <li> <h3><figure><img src="assets/no-3.png"/></figure>Adapt</h3> <p>If your learnings from the analytics indicate that there is an audience and opportunity for mobile communication, a strategic plan should be implemented. This can start with monitoring analytics and behaviour, or jumping straight into developing dedicated assets. If building assets, the priority should be on getting the current online assets mobile friendly, followed by creating dedicated mobile properties, and then expanding into apps if appropriate. Plan according to the devices your audience is using and the information they are looking for.</p> </li> <li> <h3><figure><img src="assets/no-4.png"/></figure>Integrate</h3> <p>Just as social media has become part of the integrated marketing mix in brand and campaign communication, so should mobile. Every brief should address the anticipated consumer behaviour in relation to other marketing activity. Will there be high levels of mobile social sharing? Will there be a desire to access information 'there and then' on mobile? If so, you need to make it easy for consumers to access the information they are being directed to.</p> </li> <li> <h3><figure><img src="assets/no-5.png"/></figure>Learn</h3> <p>Mobile technology is growing and changing so quickly that market share and user behaviour is constantly shifting. The analytics you generated now may be very different to six months' time when there are new devices and technology in the market. Record analytics on a monthly basis to recognise changes and respond accordingly.</p> </li> </ol><section><p>Mobile is increasingly becoming a crucial channel which is still considered new for many businesses. Now is the time to begin understanding behaviours in relation to your brand in order to capitalise on increased mobile use and effectively communicate with this growing market.</p> </section></article><article id="sources" class="section"><h2><a name="sources">Sources</a></h2> <ol><li><span class="numbers">1.</span><a href="http://business.financialpost.com/2011/02/09/smartphone-shipments-surpass-pcs/" target="_blank">International Data Corporation</a>, February 2011</li> <li><span class="numbers">2.</span><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/mobile-internet-usage-rivalling-pc-use/story-e6frgakx-1226132227680" target="_blank">The Australian</a>, July 2011</li> <li><span class="numbers">3.</span><a href="http://www.bandt.com.au/news/tablet-ownership-to-triple-in-2011" target="_blank">Nielsen</a>, March 2011</li> <li><span class="numbers">4.</span><a href="http://www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/media-centre/announcements/australias-growing-fascination-with-smartphones-edging-out-pcs.xml" target="_blank">Nielsen</a>, July 2011</li> <li><span class="numbers">5.</span><a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=154255&nid=12900" target="_blank">Ovum Consulting</a>, July 2011</li> </ol></article></section><footer><section><h3><a name="contact" title="Contact">BCM Partnership</a></h3> <ul><li><a href="http://bcm.com.au" target="_blank">www.bcm.com.au</a></li> <li><span class="number">+61 7 3308 2000</span></li> <li> <ul class="social"><li><a href="mailto:mail@bcm.com.au" target="_blank" class="email"/></li> <li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/bcmpartnership" target="_blank" class="fb"/></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/#!/bcmpartnership" target="_blank" class="tw"/></li> </ul></li> </ul></section><a href="http://bcm.com.au" target="_blank" class="logo" title="BCM"><img src="assets/bcm-logo.png" alt="logo"/></a> </footer></div>
Report: iDevices Dominate Mobile Browsing with 84% Share
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