We are only weeks into 2011 but it is crystal clear that this year is shaping up to be the year of the mobile Web. New research conducted by video traffic management firm Bytemobile has uncovered some surprising data savvy marketers need to be aware of.
Bytemobile has found that in 2011, 60 percent of all traffic on mobile Web devices will be for video. The study also shows that 10 percent of mobile Web users account for 90 percent of mobile Web traffic. This staggering fact means that a relatively small group of mobile Internet users are doing the vast majority of mobile bandwidth consumption.
This data highlights some critical elements in the evolution of the mobile Web. Streaming or downloading large video files over a wireless network can put a major strain on the network and impact performance for users. According to the Telegraph, many wireless data service providers cannot keep up with the demand of consumers. Companies like T-Mobile are, in turn, increasing prices and lowering the amount of mobile bandwidth included in each package.
Marketing Takeaway
This data offers important lessons for savvy marketers, the first being that mobile Internet users are looking to be entertained on the go. With video being such a large source of mobile Web traffic, it is likely that Netflix, iTunes and YouTube represent a large portion of that 60 percent. As a marketer, you should be sharing your video in a mobile-friendly player that uses HTML5 instead of Adobe’s Flash. If you are trying to market on the mobile Web, you need to consider the importance of entertaining and quality content that can be consumed on mobile devices.
With indications that mobile bandwidth cost may be on the rise, it is important for marketers to develop lightweight ways to engage mobile users. Don’t ask a user to stream a 10-minute video. Instead, provide a clean text summary of the video if they are using a cellular data connection. Give them an opportunity to watch the video if they are on a WiFi connection, in an effort to help them conserve mobile bandwidth.
Does this new mobile web data surprise you?
Read more: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/8629/In-2011-60-Percent-of-Mobile-Web-Traffic-Will-Be-Video-New-Data.aspx#ixzz1BftdREt8
