Mobile internet traffic now represents 35.71% of all Canada’s web traffic, a number that is certain to keep rising. Mobile will likely overtake desktop in the next few years, so it’s worth taking a moment to consider what’s driving the rise.
More websites are optimized for mobile
Quite simply, the mobile browsing experience is just better than it was. The early days of mobile browsers saw clunky websites, broken plugins and formatting that was sometimes close to gibberish. Web designers didn’t have the knowledge or inclination to optimize sites for mobile browsing, and the result was a messy experience that encouraged people to stick with their desktops.
That, of course, has all changed, in part because developers had no choice but to catch up. As mobile browsing soars in popularity, so too do fully optimized sites. By neglecting the mobile audience you’re losing out on a crucial source of traffic, so businesses the world over have leapt on board. Sites are now fully optimized which means no glitches, no dubious formatting and no issues with lengthy load times. If anything, some mobile sites are so well optimized that they surpass their desktop equivalents.
Entertainment on the move
Mobile entertainment accounts for a large portion of internet traffic. Entertainment takes many forms, from streaming a film to browsing Jackpotcitycasino.com. Watching sports on the move or reading an eBook contribute, too. These forms of entertainment grew in popularity as smartphones (and especially their screens) became more sophisticated.
Better smartphone technology makes it easier to consume entertainment on the move. Long gone are the days of small, heavily pixellated screens and unwieldy interfaces. Streamlining has become the norm for smartphone designers. Comfortable use, big screens and fantastic sound make it easier than ever to enjoy entertainment while on the go. That, of course, has led to a dramatic uptick in traffic.
Cheaper data (and more of it)
Mobile data plays a big role in the expansion of traffic. Mobile contracts used to be expensive and, in the early days of phones, didn’t offer much data at all. Nowadays the reverse is true. Even SIM only deals tend to offer a lot of data, and there are even unlimited contracts available. The rise in data allowances and the associated price drop has made browsing on the move much easier. No longer shackled to their home WiFi, users can now search the web as they travel, driving traffic up.
Couple this with the increased rollout of 5G and you’ve got a perfect storm of greater accessibility at a lower price. Data will only become cheaper, contracts will get more generous and networks will be much faster. Some users won’t even bother switching to WiFi when they return home, such is the amount of data on their contract. All of this bodes well for mobile traffic and suggests that it won’t be long at all until it becomes the predominant form of web traffic in Canada.
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