The Mobile Revolution: Digital Devices and the Search for Information

Slide 1 – Title Page

Hi I’m Greg Rees, I’m here to today to tell you a bit about the impact the internet has had on our lives and how it has affected us as Consumers.

Slide 2- Introduction

History of internet (Jefferon Online, 2016)

As you can see from the slide, we’ve come a long way since the internet went public 30 years ago, and is now an important part of our everyday life.

Slide 3 – Access to the internet – Internet Usage

According to Oberlo, the majority of the world now has Internet access and almost 60% of the world are active internet users. That marks a 316 million year-over-year increase compared to 2020’s figures.

But it’s not just that access is more widespread, the download speed has improved rapidly. Now, since the pandemic we can expect to see a lot more investment in fibre optic installation due to more people needing a higher upload speed, which we can see here in brackets.

So let’s see now how the internet has affected 2 of the global economic powers:

Slide 4- Access to the internet – Economic Powers

In both the United States and China countries internet use is widespread and having a mobile internet connection appears to be the biggest factor in if people go online.

So how does this compare with the rest of the world?

Slide 5- Digital Devices

Mobile devices are now the main way of people accessing the internet. These figures are likely to grow as the number of mobile internet users continues to rise.

So lets take a look how people spend their time online?

Slide 6- Digital Devices – How do users spend their time?

According to study carried out by DataReportal.com, It is not surprising that people use the internet for finding information and communication. When you think that finding information can also include News & Events, Instructions and researching a product it is evident that the internet is predominantly used as an information source which people are able to access anytime and place through their phones.

One of the key areas has been looking information for buying products.

Slide 7- How customers search for information?

According to Statista in 2021, Search Engines were the most popular way to search for products, and it will be no surprise to hear that GOOGLE is the top engine globally.

The use of apps is increasing and companies are utilsing them a lot more. Smartphone usage statistics show that in 2020, the most used shopping app by daily active users was Amazon.

So lets UK to a look at the UKs online shopping habits? 7

Slide 8 – What do customers buy?

Graph showing what people in the UK spend money on (Statista, 2021)

A study by Charged Retail identified UK shoppers as spending more money online than any other country in the world, on average $4516 (£3250.1) per person in 2020, nearly double China’s spend.

One of the factors which had a big impact on people purchasing online was the Covid pandemic, this especially increased and takeout and food ordered online.

But what are the major factors which are pushing people to buy online?

Slide 9 - Why are customers buying online?

One thing attracting people is variety and options, either through the product or payment options. This is also an area where mobile phones have an impact, as customers are able to buy there and then with 1 click of the button.

This change in purchasing habits has led to companies investing more in online advertising. One of the key areas to develop from this is the use of online videos.

Slide 10 - Most Popular Streaming Platforms

Most Popular Streaming Platforms (BroadbandSearch.com, 2022)

Cicso estimated that in 2020 79% of Internet Traffic was through Video Usage, which supports 3 Trillion Internet Video Minutes per month.

This again points towards not just developments in the internet but the digital devices which support the content being streamed across the platforms.

 Slide 11 - Most Popular Social Media platform

Social platforms are important for companies to promote their products and also for customers to research before making a purchase. Google reports that more than 80% of customers conduct their research online through social platforms and review sites before making a purchase decision.

Slide 12 - Trends

As discussed the key driver in internet usage is the use of mobile phones. The fact that our smartphones go everywhere with us has opened a new market for location-triggered buying experiences.

Slide 13 - Covid & Pandemic

As well as the factors previously mentioned Covid has been a massive driver pushing people to use services like Video Conferencing for work and online shopping in their personal lives.

So what is the next step for the Internet world especially for us consumers?

Slide 14 - Future Trends

Impact of Pandemic on US ecommerce
(DigitalCommerce360, 2022)

According to eConsultancy the global AR market is going to be almost $98 billion by 2028 Within the context of marketing, augmented reality allows brands to offer unique and immersive digital experiences, and to engage consumers in a memorable way.

Businesses will also look to retain customers more than ever by building community through shared identity, rituals and traditions. The aim is for fellow supporters to form deep and lasting connections with one another.

Again this is something that will rely on the continued use of mobile digital devices to read and share experiences and thoughts in real time.

Slide 15

The internet has fundamentally changed how people live their lives and usage is only going to increase as more people start accessing it on mobile devices with connection speeds getting faster. Businesses are now looking to use the internet to add to the customers experience through improving service and personalising the experience to add value to the brand.

LINK TO EVOLUTION OF DIGITAL MARKETING SLIDESHOW