How are Your Patients Reading Your Site?
Smartphones vs. laptops, tablets vs. desktops, consumers access your website from many different devices. Each device comes with different user behavior, and even differences in user demographics. In our clients’ website traffic analysis, we noticed a developing trend that mirrors a growing market for tablets. Here is what we discovered and reasons why you should pay attention to this user group.
Tablet Users are Browsers
In analyzing traffic from our clients’ sites, tablet traffic is the most interested in consuming content. Tablet users stay on the page for an average of one minute longer, and read one page more than desktop users. Whereas mobile users might access your site for directions before an appointment, tablet users are sticking around and focusing on the content of your website. They are doing their research about why they should choose your practice. And the traffic is only going to increase.
Tablet Use Increasing in US
Today: Tablets were used by almost a third of US internet users in 2012, up from 12% in 2011. By the end of Q2 in 2013, 47% of internet users will be using tablets. Here’s the growth in the tablet market we mentioned above.
Tomorrow: Shipments of tablets are expected to grow to 383.3 million units in 2017 compared to 72.7 million in 2011 which is an increase of 427%. Tablets are not a fad and are not going away anytime soon. Paying attention to this market now will position your site for further success with tablet users in the future.
How Tablets Are Used
Even though tablets are a lightweight travel companion, 90% of tablet use is in the home, like desktop computers. Among tablet users, tablet owners reported that searching was the second most frequent activity (with 78% of users responding that they search for information on their tablets) behind playing games. Tablets are becoming an integral part of users lives, 74% of tablet users use the device daily and 60% use it several times a day. Not surprisingly, tablet users spend an average of 13.9 hours per week with their tablets.
Tablets Will Become a Part of Your Digital Marketing Strategy
From our research, tablets are contributing a dedicated browsing group. Studies are finding that tablets are going to increase in use and are already becoming intertwined in users’ daily lives.
For this reason, keeping the tablet audience in mind when designing your site is extremely important. Same goes for when you are defining your search marketing strategies. In the second part of this post next week, we will walk you through three steps to capitalize on tablet traffic.
Resources
Emily Peck. “OPA Study Reveals Attitudes of Today’s Tablet User”. Online Publishers Association. 18 June 2012. Web. 27 February 2013. <http://www.online-publishers.org/index.php/opa_news/press_release/opa_study_reveals_attitudes_of_todays_tablet_user>.
Bryson Meunier. “What You Need To Know About Targeting iPad & Tablet Searchers”. Search Engine Land. 30 January 2013. Web. 27 February 2013.
<http://searchengineland.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-targeting-ipad-tablet-searchers-109685>.
Jim Yu. “Mobile & Tablet Optimization: The Next Enterprise Search Frontier”. Search Engine Watch. 25 February 2013. Web. 27 February 2013. <http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2250247/Mobile-Tablet-Optimization-The-Next-Enterprise-Search-Frontier?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter>.