STUDY: Android Gains 10 Points on Apple in Q1 2014 Mobile Traffic Market Share

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Chicago, IL (PRWEB) May 06, 2014

Android phone devices saw gains over Apple in mobile traffic market share for the fifth consecutive quarter and now account for half of all mobile traffic, according to a new study from Walker Sands.

Walker Sands Digital, the digital marketing arm of Walker Sands Communications, a full-service marketing and public relations firm for technology companies, released the findings as a part of its Quarterly Mobile Traffic Report. The report also found traffic coming from mobile devices continues to increase year-over-year, up 31 percent since Q1 2013 and 133 percent since the same period in 2012. Traffic from Q4 to Q1 was flat for the second consecutive year.

Mobile Browsing by Device

The study breaks down findings by device, revealing Android has surpassed Apple in total mobile traffic market share across all devices.

Android lead smartphone traffic and continues to increase its share of Web traffic on tablets. The total number of Web visits from Android tablets is up 140 percent since the same time last year. However, iOS still leads in traffic coming from tablets, accounting for nearly three times as much as Android tablets.

“While overall growth of mobile Web traffic is starting to slow, especially when it comes to tablets, we’re seeing a significant shift in the amount of market share held by the big players,” said Daniel Laloggia, digital strategy manager at Walker Sands Digital.

Share of mobile traffic, segmented by device:

Mobile phones:

•     Android mobile devices – 45 percent, up from 37.9 percent in Q1 2013
•     Apple iPhone – 32.4 percent, down from 35.7 percent in Q1 2013
•     BlackBerry – 0.8 percent, down from 1.4 percent in Q1 2013

Mobile tablet devices:

•     Android tablets – 4.8 percent, up from 2.6 percent in Q1 2013
•     Apple iPad – 15 percent, down from 17.7 percent in Q1 2013

Largest Spike in Mobile Traffic Comes After Q3

The largest growth in mobile traffic typically occurs between Q3 and Q4, accounting for an 11 percent increase in 2013 and a 6 percent increase in 2012. Findings from the last two years also revealed that after a major bump in Q4, traffic tends to stay consistent until the following year at the same time.

“There are a number of reasons to which this yearly spike in Q4 can be attributed,” said John Fairley, director of digital services at Walker Sands Digital. “The fall release of several new devices on the market, and the gifting and purchasing of new devices around the holiday season, are two of the biggest. The key takeaway for businesses is that mobile traffic already accounts for nearly a third of all Web traffic and continues to be on the rise.”

Organic Search Drives Traffic, While Mobile Phones Continue to Trump Tablets in Market Share

Organic search accounts for the majority of mobile traffic, making up more than a half of all mobile Web visits. A third of all mobile traffic comes from direct sources, often from email or social media applications on a mobile device.

The study also reveals that mobile phones, as opposed to tablets, have continued to account for the most traffic in the last year. While the individual market share of each device has dramatically shifted, their overall contribution to mobile traffic has remained steady. Phones have accounted for about 80 percent and tablets for around 20 percent of mobile traffic since Q1 2013.

“The findings of our study show that both mobile phone and tablet devices are here to stay and continue to gain traction in Web traffic, further demonstrating the need for businesses to be optimized for search across multiple devices, or risk missing out on revenue opportunities,” added Laloggia.

About the Walker Sands Quarterly Mobile Traffic Report

The Walker Sands Quarterly Mobile Traffic Report is compiled to determine significant Web trends. The report is conducted by examining Web analytics across a wide range of B2B and B2C clients in multiple industries.

About Walker Sands Digital

Walker Sands Digital is the digital marketing division of Walker Sands Communications, a full-service marketing and public relations firm focused on generating sales growth for our business to business clients. Launched as an independent brand in 2013, Walker Sands Digital brings together Walker Sands’ full approach to digital marketing, specializing in SEO, digital strategy, web design, PPC and content marketing. With offices in Chicago and San Francisco it provides digital marketing support for clients ranging from large Fortune 500 brands to small startup ventures. In addition to a Hermes Creative Award and several Communicator awards, Walker Sands landed on the Inc. 5000 of fastest growing companies in the US in 2013. Visit http://www.walkersandsdigital.com for more information.

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