In John Lennon’s “Imagine”, he visualized a world that was void of lots of different things. Could desktop / laptop computers be one of those things we could imagine doing without – at least for personal use?
Just a few years ago, when we were telling businesses that they needed start strategizing for mobile; many people commented that mobile use in the US would never eclipse desktop/laptop use and that smart phones would never be able to deliver the functionality consumers wanted from desktops and laptops. I’m not sure how many businesses are still avoiding mobile, but most successful companies have embraced mobile and moved into a mobile first position.
Now, we may be at the next pivot point, consumers are going from mobile first to mobile only.
● There are 19 million mobile only consumers in the US
● Over the past year, the number of mobile only Americans has grown by 36%. The number of PC users has fallen 45% to 40 million
● The number of PC only users has fallen 45% to 40 million
● Overall, the number of people who own mobile devices is rapidly catching up to the own PCs (181 million adults own PCs and 161 million own mobile devices – these re not exclusive consumers can own both)
● Half of consumers only read email via mobile device
● 45% of all searches are done on a mobile device and just over 40% of all social media activity originates from a smart phone or tablet
What This Means To You
There will most likely still be a place for desktops and laptops in the work environment – but many consumers are trading out of desktops & laptops for tablets and smart phones.
Things like cloud storage has eliminated the need for large storage space and consumers are doing more things via online functionality.
Apps are replacing programs.
For businesses, this means a more nimble consumer. They will access information and make decisions more quickly.
Is your business ready for the mobile only customer?
These consumers value accessibility – free Wi-Fi is a necessity. It also means that your employees need to be more knowledgeable about mobile and the way customer shop today.
Your social reputation is also more important than ever. Potential shoppers can read all about the experience of others with your organization quicker and easier. It also means they can comment about their experience on the fly.
Who knows what will happen after the mobile only consumer.
I don’t know if I could imagine all the people living in harmony without an Android device or iPhone more than than an arm’s length away – but I’ll never say never. The speed on innovation is amazing. Like Ferris said “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”. The same could be said for the next technological innovation. For more information on creating opportunities with consumers, please contact:
Al Fiala
amfiala@gmail.com
Sources: MediaPost; comScore, Millenial Media; Email Marketing Compass
Research That Delivers Results 