STUDY: Mobile Web Traffic Has Tripled Since Q4 2011; iOS Continues to Lose Market Share
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) January 28, 2014 -- Visits from mobile devices accounted for 31 percent of all website traffic in Q4 2013, up 35 percent since Q4 2012, according to the Walker Sands Quarterly Mobile Traffic Report.
Walker Sands, a public relations and digital agency for technology companies and startups, found that the percentage of website traffic from mobile devices continues to increase year over year. Accounting for only 12.5 percent in Q4 2011, the number of total website visits coming from mobile traffic has increased 149 percent in the last two years.
“Our findings this quarter both re-establish the importance of businesses investing in strong mobile components and also demonstrate the growing value of SEO strategies on both Web and mobile browsers,” said John Fairley, director of Web services at Walker Sands.
Mobile Browsing by Device
When analyzed by operating system and device, the study revealed Android phones have nearly as much mobile traffic market share as iPhones and tablets combined:
- iPhone: 32 percent of mobile traffic, down from 34.8 percent in the fourth quarter 2012
- iPad: 13.9 percent of mobile traffic, down from 17 percent in the fourth quarter 2012
- Android Phone: 45.6 percent of mobile traffic, up from 39.9 percent in the fourth quarter 2012
- Android Tablet: 4 percent of mobile traffic, up from 2.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012
- BlackBerry: 0.8 percent of mobile traffic, down from 1.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012
In total, Android devices (phones and tablets combined) make up nearly half of the market share at 49.6 percent, up from 42.4 percent in Q4 2012. iOS devices (iPhone and iPad combined) account for 45.9 percent of mobile traffic, down from 51.7 percent in Q4 2012. Visits from Android tablets increased 151 percent since Q4 2012, while visits from iPads increased only 26 percent.
“While in previous quarters Apple has been a clear leader in the mobile world, the accelerated adoption rate of Android devices has begun to create a shift,” said Daniel Laloggia, digital marketing manager at Walker Sands. “However, iPad devices are still currently dominating the tablet market, while Android is having faster growth in mobile phone devices.”
Organic Search Accounts for Half of Mobile Traffic
The study also revealed that the amount of mobile website traffic coming from organic search is up nearly 19 percent since Q4 2012, now accounting for 51 percent of all mobile traffic. Direct traffic from mobile devices accounts for about one-third of mobile traffic, and approximately 10 percent of mobile traffic now comes from referrals outside of search engines.
“With nearly one-third of customers visiting sites through mobile and more than half of those coming through organic search, businesses with weak results are missing out on major revenue opportunities,” added Fairley.
For more information, visit Walker Sands’ Quarterly Mobile Traffic Report.
Discovering Your Website’s Mobile Traffic
With mobile traffic at record-high levels, it is crucial to ensure your site is mobile friendly. To determine your own mobile traffic, visit the Walker Sands Step-by-Step Mobile Traffic Guide.
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 data across a wide range of B2B and B2C clients in multiple industries.
About Walker Sands
Walker Sands is a full-service marketing and public relations firm specializing in media relations for technology companies ranging from startups to enterprise level. With offices in Chicago and San Francisco, Walker Sands was founded in 2001 to provide data-driven marketing support for a wide array of companies with the business mission of providing best-in-class communications counsel and services. In 2013, Walker Sands received recognition for client work from the PRSA Skylines, Hermes, PCC and PR Daily awards, among others. To learn more, visit the Walker Sands website.
Erin Jordan, Walker Sands Communications, http://www.walkersands.com/, +1 (312) 265-3089, [email protected]
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