We’re obsessed with smartphones
Almost half (48 percent) of millennial smartphone owners check their phones 50 or more times per day; 16 percent of boomers do the same.
More than half (55 percent) of millennials use their smartphones three or more hours per day; 27 percent of baby boomers do the same.
Never gonna give it up
What would it take for consumers to give up their smartphone for a month? Almost three-quarters (74 percent) wouldn’t trade their smartphone for a day with their favourite celebrity. More than half (56 percent) wouldn’t give up their smartphone in exchange for a 10 percent raise, while 50 percent wouldn’t surrender their smartphone for an extra week of holiday. Only 59 percent were willing to give up their smartphone for a month in return for £1,000, and even for a holiday at their dream destination, 28 percent wouldn’t relinquish their smartphone.
Even living without a smartphone for a week is hard for most survey respondents to imagine. Consumers in the survey were willing to give up sex, their pets, their friends, sweets and even their family for a week rather than give up their smartphones for that time.
What about giving up their smartphone for a year? No way: 32 percent say they’d be willing to run an hour every day, 18 percent would shave their heads, and 4 percent would go to prison for a month to avoid that fate.
The smartphone security blanket
A whopping 85 percent of survey respondents say their smartphone is within reach at all times; more than 25 percent always keep it on their person, even while they’re asleep. Desire for connection and fear of missing out prompt this behavior. People feel they have to respond to smartphone communications right away, and almost six in 10 expect their friends and family to respond to their messages “immediately” too.
What it means for your business
Our obsession with smartphones may be bad news for personal relationships, but good news for business. There’s no better way to connect with potential customers anytime, anywhere than through a device they always have nearby. Reach out to prospects with text message marketing and special offers to catch them while they’re on the go. Make sure your business website is mobile optimised — there’s a good chance prospective customers are looking at it on their smartphones. Get listed in local online directories such as Google, Yahoo and Bing so customers searching for what you sell will see your listing pop up on their smartphones. Web.com can handle all this and more so your business can take full advantage of the smartphone phenomenon.