2012 Mobile Internet Statistics

A new year has started and after we sober up, we can look back at 2012 and quickly summarize it before moving on. Here are some interesting statistics on mobile internet usage:

So, the mobile usage broke its own record once again this year. Smartphones are everywhere and we use them more than ever:

• Mobile accounts for 10% of internet usage worldwide 
• Smartphone website traffic more than doubled in 2011-2012
• 20% of all YouTube views are from a mobile device
• The number of smartphone searchers doubles every two months

As we browse more on our mobiles, we expect browsing to be fast and smooth and don’t have the patience to wait for pages to download:

• 74% of consumers will wait 5 seconds for a web page to load on their mobile device before abandoning the site. 
• 46% of consumers are unlikely to return to a mobile site if it didn't work properly during their last visit.
• 71% of mobile browsers expect web pages to load almost as quickly as or faster than web pages on their desktop computers

When it comes to shopping, our smartphone becomes essential. It’s always handy, and if done properly, mobile shopping can be quick, simple and fun:

• US consumers spend almost 1 of every 10 e-commerce dollars using a mobile device 
• eBay sells something via a mobile phone every two seconds
• 67% of customers will like a Facebook page to save 25% or more
• 28% of consumers share deals through social media
• only 4% of consumers prefer to shop via an app (most prefer the mobile internet)

It's no secret that almost everything we do on our mobile is social - emails, text messages, Facebook, Instagram, tweeter, etc. Most people believe it’s another way to communicate with the people around us. The following statistics will make you wonder … 

• 24% of people have missed witnessing important moments because they are too busy trying to write about them on social networks
• 83% of people believe platforms like Twitter and Facebook help them make new friends
• 25% of people believe social networks have boosted their confidence
• 24% of Americans and 28% of Brits have admitted to lying or exaggerating on a social network about what they have done and/or who they have met
• 53% of people in the UK are ‘dual screening’ (using a phone whilst watching TV for example)
• 40% of people spend more time socializing online than they do face-to-face 

All in all it was a good year for the mobile internet industry.

Looking forward to 2013!

-- Chen Didi-Barnea, Product Marketing Manager

Sitting on a Gold Mine

It’s no secret that mobile advertising is the riddle that virtually every major digital player tries to solve. Mobile Advertising is expected to jump six-fold from $3.3B last year (2011) to $20.6B in 2015, according to Gartner. Although both companies reported a growth in mobile advertising this week, Facebook has admitted that while it has almost half a billion mobile device users, it still isn't sure whether it's mobile business model is working or  not, and Google hasn't blown anyone away with it's result so far either.

For mobile advertising to succeed, it needs to be optimized for small screens, and provide a highly contextual personalized mobile experience based on the customer’s past behavior and current intent. An ad which is too good for users to pass up.

If carriers want their fair share of the media pie, they need to fight against over-the–top players and leverage their unique valuable assets. Carriers can bring brands a more targeted audience and context relevancy, something missing from most mobile advertising initiatives.

Mobile carriers sit on a lucrative gold mine – they have access to their users preferences such as  Google searches, Facebook posts, Tweets, Call Detail Record’s (CDR’s), apps, etc., and can communicate with users over various medias (snail mail, calls, email, in-app advertising). Add this to the consumer’s preferences, billing relationship and a host of anonymized data on subscribers, and advertisers finally get a tool they can use in nearly every situation.

Mobile carriers can provide tailored offers triggered when relevant, for example when a consumer is near a store or e-commerce site they are offered a coupon and can pay via their mobile device. Carriers actually are the only ones that can link activities to a specific user and provide a closed loop.

The world’s largest carriers, AT&T, Telefonica, SingTel and others, have created new business units focusing on digital advertising. These carriers are realizing that mobile advertising represents the best opportunity for growth in their business in the face of rising infrastructure costs, churn and declining margins.

Will other carriers join? Who should and who shouldn’t? Which ecosystem, software and service solutions will best support mobile carriers for success?

-- Ilanit Zehut, Director of Business Development

Mobile Operators Should Think More Like Facebook

Facebook Stock Certificate

With the Facebook IPO on the horizon, and its estimated valuation reaching over $100B, this is a good time for mobile operators to rethink their business models. Needless to say, Facebook has never charged its users, asked them for their credit cards, or sent invoices to their homes. Nevertheless, its revenues are expected to hit $5B in 2012, with 85% coming from ads. Facebook is capable of reaching these enormous numbers primarily because businesses, no matter how large they are, are always interested in increasing exposure to their products and services, and are willing to share their revenues in order to do so.


So what does this have to do with mobile operators?

First, and this is obvious, the mobile internet is a sustainable source of revenues for its industry. As Jon Stewart said about the internet, “it’s a keeper.” This is good news for mobile operators struggling to maintain revenues from traditional voice and messaging services in the face of competition and regulation.

Second, for mobile operators to compete in the Internet playing field, they need to get in the game and start thinking more like Internet players, such as Facebook. Rather than sticking to traditional subscription-based business models, they need to get creative. This means not only selling their own content and services directly, but also using their unique position between their users and the internet to offer interesting and relevant content and services from anywhere on the web, using affiliation plans and revenue-sharing.

To do this, operators need to find the real-estate to effectively present these recommendations and promotions to their users – either on the monthly bill, their portal, or, for maximum visibility, within the browser itself. Our monetization solution provides operators with this valuable real-estate - our web toolbar - and the supporting ecosystem to start generating and sharing revenues today. 


-- Chen Didi-Barnea, Product Marketing Manager