These days mobile is one of the biggest buzz words when it comes to online marketing, which begs the question, how big is it really?  As more and more people use their mobile devices to access the web, marketers are seeing a shift in traffic to their website from desktop to mobile.  So what does all of this really mean? 

Let’s start off by taking a look at some startling mobile statistics to get a better understanding of the impact this can have when it comes to online marketing.

• Mobile traffic has more than doubled in 12 months, and now accounts for over 13% of all web traffic

• 81% of people prefer mobile for convenience and speed

• The US has 125.9mm smartphone users, with a 29% YOY growth rate

• 83% of mobile searches occur when people are close to a computer

• 77% of mobile searches occur at home or work

• 45% of mobile searches are goal-oriented

*Data provided by ComScore, March 2013; Vocus.com, March 2013; and SmallBizTrends.com, Feb 2013

Pretty impressive statistics when you look at them together, and definitely worth considering when developing and updating your online marketing strategy.  Based on eMarketer.com research, advertising dollars spent on mobile are on pace to grow at an incredible rate, taking up an estimated 50% of total digital marketing budgets by the year 2017.

When you consider that in 2011, mobile was just over 4% of digital ad spending, and grew to over 18% by 2013, the pace certainly makes sense.  Whether you want to admit it or not, mobile is here to stay and absolutely needs to be a part of your online strategy.

In the upcoming series about the Mobile Marketing Shift, we will discuss how you can incorporate mobile into key areas of your marketing plan.  From mobile specific PPC ads and bids, mobile SEO, the need for a mobile friendly site, and even how to determine if your company needs a mobile app; we will help you sift through the multitude of mobile information that is flooding the online world today.

In the meantime, we’d love to hear from you – have you gone mobile with your marketing strategy yet?  If so, what percentage of your digital budget does mobile encompass?  Let us know in the comments!