SAN FRANCISCO—There is new data that credit unions need to pay attention to as they consider the importance of optimizing their websites for mobile use: more websites are now loaded on smartphones and tablets than on desktop computers.
StatCounter, a research company that tracks Internet use across 2.5-million websites, said 51.3% of pages were loaded on mobile devices in October, the first time they have surpassed desktop and laptop computers. This is up from less than 5% in 2010 and less than 25% three years ago. Smartphones accounted for 46.5% of traffic, against 4.7% for tablets.
Analysts have been emphasizing the importance of optimizing credit union websites for or mobile to deliver a much better—and less frustrating—user experience.
What’s behind the shift? The growth of high-speed mobile networks, more powerful smartphones and first-time sales in emerging markets have seen smartphones become many people's most important, or only, computer, according to Statcounter.
“This should be a wake-up call, especially for small businesses, sole traders and professionals to make sure that their websites are mobile friendly. Many older websites are not,” said StatCounter CEO Aodhan Cullen.