The next time you’re on a train, bus or even standing in line at the grocery store, take a moment to look around. Chances are, you’ll see bent heads glued to their mobile screens.
From checking for directions to socializing, we’re living our lives through the portal of our mobile devices. But just how big is the mobile web-surfing trend?
As we enter the first quarter of 2024, here’s a round-up of key stats from 2023 to help you understand mobile’s influence on our daily lives:
• Percentage of Internet Traffic From Mobile Devices (Key Stats)
• Mobile Device Internet Usage Across Different Regions
• Mobile vs. Desktop Internet Usage
• Mobile Device Internet Usage Stats
• Mobile Internet Traffic by Browser
• Why Responsive Mobile Design Is Key to Smooth Browsing Experience
• Consumer Preferences When Mobile Surfing
• The Future of 5G and 6G Mobile Broadband
• Mobile Internet Traffic Predictions and Forecasts
• The Rise of mCommerce
• Mobile Traffic Stats Every Marketer Should Know
Percentage of Internet Traffic From Mobile Devices (Key Stats)
How much of the world’s internet traffic comes from mobile devices?
Here are key mobile device internet usage stats:
1. Mobile devices (excluding tablets) accounted for 58.33% of global website traffic in Q1 2023 (Source: Statista).
2. In Q1 2015, this number was less than one-third (31.16%), meaning mobile internet traffic has increased by around 75% since 2015 (Source: Oberlo).
Source: Exploding Topics
3. 95.8% use mobile phones to access the internet. By comparison, almost 62.9% use laptops or desktops (Source: Statista).
Source: Statista
4. In Q1 2023, global internet users spent 56.8% of their online time on mobile phones, showing an increase from the 54.7% spent in Q4 2021 (Source: Statista).
Mobile Device Internet Usage Across Different Regions
Understanding the regional breakdown of mobile device internet usage is crucial for businesses looking to expand their reach.
Here are some key statistics on mobile internet activity by region:
5. Africa tops the chart, with 75% of internet traffic coming from mobile devices (Source: Statista).
6. Conversely, Oceania ranks as the least mobile-dependent region for internet traffic at around 40% (Source: Statista).
7. In the U.S., 45.49% of online traffic is from mobile devices, down from 52.5% in Q3 of 2022 (Source: Statista).
8. Qatar has the fastest mobile connection speed at 190 Mbps (Source: Statista).
9. This is followed by the United Arab Emirates at 175.34 Mbps and Macau at 171.73 Mbps (Source: Statista).
Mobile vs. Desktop Internet Usage
The increase in mobile internet activity has come at the expense of desktop usage. These numbers show just how significant the shift has been:
10. In 2013, desktops dominated 82.98% of web traffic. The shift occurred in November 2016, when mobile overtook desktop, accounting for 50.7% of internet traffic compared to desktop’s 49.3% (Source: Oberlo).
11. Mobile internet activity accounts for as much as 75% of eCommerce visits compared to desktops (Source: SaleCycle).
12. It’s slightly different in the U.S. As of August 2023, 32.23% of total internet traffic is mobile, while 67.77% is from desktops (Source: Oberlo).
13. Desktop devices have an average 3.9% conversion rate, more than double the 1.8% rate for smartphones. This suggests that users may browse on mobile but prefer to purchase on computers or laptops (Source: Retail TouchPoints).
14. Interestingly, tablets have a 3.8% conversion rate, suggesting that screen size is crucial in conversion rates (Source: Retail TouchPoints).
15. Mobile apps now dominate web page views, surpassing desktops by 5.64%. In 2021, mobile apps accounted for 55.64% of web page views (Source: Statista).
Mobile Device Internet Usage Stats
Get a better understanding of how mobile internet users access the internet and tailor your optimization strategies accordingly with these stats:
16. In Q1 2023, mobile phones were the preferred device for internet access, with around 95.3% of global users using them, while smartphones were used by over 94% of users (Source: Statista).
Global internet access in Q1 2023 by device usage.
Source: Statista
Mobile Internet Traffic by Browser
Knowing which browsers are most popular for mobile internet traffic can help optimize your website or application.
Mobile Browser Market Share in August 2023
Source: Similarweb
17. Chrome is the leading mobile web browser, with a market share of 58.16% as of August 2023 (Source: Similarweb).
18. Safari comes in second with 35.49% market share, followed by Samsung Internet at 4.02% (Source: Similarweb).
Popular Mobile Browsers Market Share in 12 Months
Source: Similarweb
Why Responsive Mobile Design Is Key to Smooth Browsing Experience
A responsive mobile design can significantly impact internet traffic and users’ interaction with your website or application. Consider these statistics:
19. 33% incorporated mobile-friendly website design into their marketing strategy, while over 54% integrated it into their search engine optimization (SEO) strategy (Source: HubSpot)
Source: Hubspot
20. 73.1% of web designers agree that a non-responsive design is the leading cause of visitor abandonment on websites (Source: GoodFirms)
21. Not having a responsive design is a top reason for visitors to leave a website, according to a survey of 200+ web designers and freelancers. Slow load times, bad navigation and poor content structure are also cited as other reasons (Source: GoodFirms)
Source: GoodFirms
22. 53.8% of web designers consider “not being responsive on all devices” as a top reason for a website to be redesigned (Source: GoodFirms).
Mobile Optimization Stats To Boost Internet Traffic
Optimizing websites and applications for mobile devices is no longer an option; it is a necessity. Here are some stats to back that up:
23. 94% of first impressions are influenced by a website’s design (Source: WebFX).
24. When asked about preferred visual elements on a company website, 40% of consumers mentioned images, 39% mentioned color and 21% mentioned video (Source: Top Design Firms).
Source: Top Design Firms
25. 42% of users leave websites due to poor functionality (Source: Top Design Firms).
26. 39% of consumers value color above all other aspects of website design (Source: Top Design Firms).
27. 26% of users prefer primary color schemes, 20% analogous and 21% complementary (Source: Top Design Firms).
28. 22% of first-time website visitors are attracted to eye-catching colors, while 21% will abandon a site with “outlandish” colors (Source: Top Design Firms).
29. 64% of SEO marketers find mobile optimization a worthwhile investment (Source: HubSpot).
See related post: How Mobile Optimization Can Increase Your Conversions
Consumer Preferences When Mobile Surfing
Understanding consumer preferences when it comes to mobile surfing can help businesses better target and engage with their audience.
30. 58% of smartphone users prefer companies that have mobile websites or apps that remember their past activities (Source: Think with Google).
31. 75% of smartphone users expect to receive immediate information while using their smartphone (Source: Think with Google).
32. 51% of smartphone users are more likely to use a company or brand’s mobile app while browsing or shopping on their smartphones due to the availability of rewards or points (Source: Think with Google).
33. 30% of smartphone users prefer using a company or brand’s mobile site when browsing or shopping on their smartphones for one-time purchases (Source: Think with Google).
34. 59% of shoppers consider mobile shopping necessary in their purchasing decisions (Source: Google/Ipsos).
The Future of 5G and 6G Mobile Broadband
It used to take hours to browse the internet, let alone download the most straightforward app on your phone, but these days, it only takes minutes, thanks to 5G.
Moreover, with the development of 6G already underway, users can expect even faster browsing speeds.
35. There will be over 2 billion 5G connections worldwide by 2025 (Source: GSMA, Intelligence).
36. 5G coverage is expected to reach 70% by 2026 (Source: Omdia).
Source: Ericsson
37. By 2026, 5G networks are expected to account for more than 50% of the world’s mobile data traffic (Source: Ericsson).
38. 5G is expected to have a 10% faster adoption rate than 4G (Source: Ericsson).
39. The projected speed of 6G is expected to be 10x faster than 5G connection speeds (Source: Statista).
Mobile Internet Traffic Predictions and Forecasts
Allocate resources and meet the growing demands of customers with these mobile internet traffic predictions and forecasts:
40. By 2025, around 72.6% of mobile internet users, which is equivalent to nearly 3.7 billion people, will solely rely on smartphones to access the web (Source: WARC)
41. By 2025, it is predicted that over 1.3 billion people will use both smartphones and PCs to access the internet. (Source: WARC).
42. China, Nigeria, India, Indonesia and Pakistan will drive the most smartphone growth. (Source: WARC).
43. Huge business opportunities arise as the mobile internet continues to dominate. In 2018, an impressive $101 billion was spent solely through mobile apps (Source: App Annie).
44. China accounted for nearly 40% of the total spending, primarily on gaming, which encompassed paid downloads, in-app purchases and subscription fees (Source: App Annie).
The Rise of mCommerce
Mobile devices have revolutionized how we shop, allowing us to compare prices, read reviews, and make purchases on the go – hence, the birth of mobile commerce (mCommerce).
45. The mobile eCommerce conversion rate stands at 2.95%, whereas desktop conversions are at 4.16% (Source: Dynamic Yield).
46. 63% of women aged between 16-24 utilize mobile phones to make online purchases (Source: DataReportal).
47. 50% of smartphone users use a mobile site to browse or shop instead of downloading a mobile app (Source: Google/Ipsos).
48. Mobile commerce (mCommerce) currently represents 23% of online sales (Source: Invesp).
49. By 2024, experts expect mCommerce sales to reach $534.18 billion, almost 40% of the total eCommerce sales. This is all thanks to tablets and smartphones. (Source: Business Insider Intelligence).
50. Tablets are playing a significant role in the success of mCommerce, with an expected increase to $54.01 billion by 2026 (Source: Business Insider Intelligence).
51. The adoption of mCommerce varies across generations. The percentages of regular online shoppers using smartphones are as follows: 79% for Millennials, 70% for Gen Z, 54% for Generation X and 27% for Baby Boomers (Source: Paysafe).
52. Retail mCommerce sales are projected to increase to 43.4% of total retail eCommerce sales in 2023 from 41.8% in 2022 (Source: Business Insider Intelligence).
53. The mCommerce share of total retail is expected to resume growth next year, reaching 8.7% by 2026, despite leveling off after a pandemic bump (Source: Business Insider Intelligence).
54. mCommerce sales are projected to reach $534.18 billion by 2024, accounting for 40.4% of total ecommerce sales. The driving forces behind this revolution are smartphones and tablets (Source: Business Insider Intelligence).
55. In the past, mCommerce was divided equally between tablets and smartphones, but conversion rates dropped due to customer frustration with smaller screens during checkout. Now, smartphones dominate with 87.2% of mCommerce sales, making mCommerce trends synonymous with smartphone trends (Source: Business Insider Intelligence).
56. Tablet mCommerce sales are expected to drop from $61.08 billion in 2022 to $54.01 billion by 2026 due to reduced tablet usage and improved mobile shopping experience (Source: Business Insider Intelligence).
Mobile Traffic Stats Every Marketer Should Know
Companies can leverage mobile surfing by optimizing their websites for viewership, developing mobile apps and using targeted ads based on mobile browsing data.
57. Around 55% of purchase-related conversions happen within one hour of the initial mobile search (Source: Invesp).
58. Slow-loading mobile sites deter 43% of consumers from returning (Source: Invesp).
59. A bad mobile experience leads 40% of consumers to seek out a competitor’s site (Source: Invesp).
60. Additional action and conversion are triggered by 73% of mobile search devices (Source: Invesp).
61. Tablet visitors are nearly 3x times more likely to make a purchase compared to smartphone visitors (Source: Invesp).
62. 52% of tablet users prefer shopping on their tablet rather than their PC (Source: Invesp).
63. 72% of tablet owners make weekly purchases from their devices (Source: Invesp).
64. 57% of local search queries are submitted using a mobile phone or tablet (Source: ReviewTrackers)
65. Mobile searches account for a significant 41% of website traffic (Source: HubSpot).
66. Over 70% of shoppers use their mobile device when surfing eCommerce sites (Source: Semrush).
67. A mere 0.1-second reduction in mobile site speed yields an 8% increase in conversions (Source: Deloitte).
68. Nearly 70% of U.S. internet users prefer checking customer reviews on their phones in-store before approaching an employee (Source: eMarketer).
69. Over half (50.9 percent) of online shoppers worldwide currently use mobile phones to purchase products online at least once weekly (Source: DataReportal).
70. The global retail conversion rate for mobile phones is 1.82%. Tablets have a higher rate at 3.49%, but desktops still lead with a 3.90% conversion rate (Source: Smartinsights).
71. 52% of PPC clicks are from mobile (Source: WebFX).
72. 93% use the internet on smartphones to discover local businesses (Source: Digital Examiner).
73. 66% of emails are read on a smartphone or tablet (Source: WebFX).
74. Over 87.7% of all YouTube views come from a mobile device (Source: Demand Sage).
75. In 2022, mobile ad spending was around $170 billion and is projected to reach 235.7 billion by 2025 (Source: Statista).
76. In 2022, global mobile advertising expenditure surpassed $327.1 billion. A significant 17.2% of this spending was attributed to mobile digital ads (Source: Statista).
Conclusion
As consumers continue to rely heavily on their mobile devices for shopping, browsing and making purchases, businesses must adapt and optimize their strategies for the mCommerce market.
By understanding key statistics and trends in mobile traffic, companies can effectively reach and engage with their target audience, ultimately driving conversions and revenue growth.
For the latest in mobile marketing and eCommerce strategies, Thrive Internet Marketing Agency has the expertise and resources to help you stay ahead.
Don’t miss the chance to reach a growing market – contact us today for a FREE consultation.
