TORONTO – Smart phone use in Canada is booming. More than one third of the country’s 24.5 million mobile subscribers report owning one, and 73% of those users report accessing the mobile web daily. What’s more, smart phone users are expected to almost double in Canada between 2010 and 2014.
According to Toronto-based mobile marketing agency Brick & Mobile, this paradigm shift in consumer behaviour is changing the marketing landscape, and Canadian businesses and brands are scrambling to keep up. While many national companies have already gone mobile, 82% of local business websites are not optimized for mobile phones (see below for the nifty infographic the company produced).
According to CEO Kevin Zicherman, this leaves many smart phone users frustrated with their current mobile experience.
"Canadians are using their smart phones more than ever to discover and engage with brands of all sizes," Zicherman said in a news release. "Mobile web searches are more purpose driven, and consumers now have the expectation of connecting with brands on-the-go."
Google data released earlier this year found that over three quarters of mobile searches have local intent, yet only 18% of mobile websites are optimized for mobile devices.
As smart phones further establish themselves as the ultimate devices for ubiquitous information retrieval, businesses of all sizes must provide consistent and easily-navigable mobile web experiences that better engage their audiences across all platforms.
