Research from Morgan Stanley, released on Wednesday, found 68 percent of tablet users cite web browsing as a primary activity. Meanwhile, 62 percent point to email and 53 percent to social media as tasks they rely on their tablet for.
For marketers, comprehensive marketing strategies focused on the mobile web have become increasingly important. The reliance on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, has continued its rapid growth throughout 2011 and is expected to continue in the short- and long-term future.
Morgan Stanley pointed to the improving technology and reliability of tablet computers as a positive sign for the market. With multitasking becoming far more intuitive on tablets, the opportunities for marketers have become more advanced and easier to leverage.
With more than half of tablet owners regularly accessing social media, a presence on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms will allow businesses to reach their target audiences more frequently. Additionally, companies targeting younger, more tech-savvy demographics have found social media marketing a competitive necessity since potential prospects can be targeted and converted on multiple platforms.
However, businesses relying on social media marketing must understand the significance of a website optimized for use on mobile devices. Since the number of prospects accessing these pages through tablets and smartphones is growing, any snags they encounter while browsing may result in lost business. Links pointing to news content marketing material should be compatible with any computing platform, as should calls to action. Making it as simple as possible for prospects to make a purchase or request information will greatly reduce bounce rates and abandoned transactions.
Businesses considering optimizing their web marketing for mobile will see their potential prospect pool continue to grow. Brafton reported on Tuesday that mobile web use will likely surpass desktop browsing by 2015. Mobile web access is expected to grow at nearly 17 percent annually through 2015.
