How Important Is Viewing A Website On Your Phone?

[HerzeleidMeister]

@QinReno

LOL I hear ya. I'm 50 myself and really rarely use the phone for internet things. I use it to text and make phone calls & that's about it. 

@Dennis

I not tried to navigate this site with my phone although I have checked it and it is responsive (mobile friendly)

 

[Dennis]

Yeah, that's the other thing. If you have a smart phone with internet access via the cellular system, you can set up a local wifi hotspot and then access the internet via the hotspot using your tablet or laptop wifi. But someone else will have to tell you how to do it.
- cellular --> smartphone (wifi hotspot) --> laptop wifi

Nah, the computer can tell you how to do it. Just power it up. LOL

 

[bonnieE350van]

only electronics I have are a net 10 flip phone and a passed on to me pc with windows 7...most times the phone is turned off and the pc only gets used to look up info or locate merchandise and to check on this website or play free cell. the disk player drive gave up the ghost a while back so I can't do dvd's or cd's anymore...only use the phone to call for road service if needed or to pay bills the beginning of the month...
most of the time the only incoming calls are from telemarketers fur payday loans I've been pre-approved for which is a joke since I've NEVER applied for any such thing...or a text message for DANIEL about job openings, and my name isn't DANIEL...the bulk of my time when not travelling is spent reading or crocheting...such an exciting life I have...I like the change of scenery that living on the open road provides...

 

[DannyB1954]

I voted depends. Many people use prepaid type phones to do their online chores like banking and mail. Most of these plans do not allow you to teather or hot spot the phone, (Cricket now does, but the cost is nearly the same as contract phones). So if the phone does not display a web site well, it makes it difficult to perform many tasks.
In my case, the prepaid $45 a month plan lets me do all I need with my phone. To be able to use a computer or tablet it would cost closer to$80 a month. If you have a hot spot, then you don't need any smart phone features, but then you are paying for a phone service and a hotspot service. The other option is always camp where there is free WiFi.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Unless I'm at a doctor's office or similar, I use my laptop. It amazes me that people stare at tiny screens on a regular basis.

 

[HerzeleidMeister]

Unless I'm at a doctor's office or similar, I use my laptop.  It amazes me that people stare at tiny screens on a regular basis.

Yeah same. Trying to visit a site on a phone can sometimes be a PITA.

 

[John61CT]

Which is exactly why it is important the underlying technology of the site optimize for whatever the visitor is using.

The **majority** of web visitors using phones or tablets these days.

And that trend not reversing IMO.

 

[rosiemartinez1211]

I prefer my laptop. Will only use the phone when I don't have a choice. But great for GPS, well, if it steers you right LOL

 

[travelaround]

On my largest website more than half the visitors are on phones or tablets. I think this could be because a lot of people get phones on payments but cannot afford a computer. That could be more true of people who need that kind of information, rather than people on this site who I think are probably more financially stable and tend toward retirement age.

 

[HerzeleidMeister]

Using a phone for viewing websites is quite popular indeed. Sites that are responsive meaning sites that look good no matter what you view it in are what is very popular these days and like John said, I personally do not see that changing either.

The reason I posed the question is I'll be offering a vanlife nomad type of site very soon that is geared toward people who are on the road or live the nomad life full or part time. The best people to ask are the ones who are actually living that lifestyle and may or may not be inclined to use a phone or tablet while viewing the website. This will let me know what software I should use for the site. I have several options including free software and two actual licenses that I purchased during the years that I did web design. So in order for the site to be easy for people to navigate and use it helps me to know what they will use most.

 

[travelaround]

I made all my sites responsive a few years ago as I heard that Google doesn't rate unresponsive sites well. Getting that search engine traffic is everything . . .

 

[QinReno]

The reason I posed the question is I'll be offering a vanlife nomad type of site very soon that is geared toward people who are on the road or live the nomad life full or part time.

It may be an issue of which demographics group you're interested in. Kids under 40-YO largely use smart phones from what I've seen, but after 40, then reading glasses are the norm, and I should think the use of smart phones declines, except used **mainly** for phone calls, rather than web surfing. This graphic bears out my thought, drops rapidly after 29-YO.
- https://bersondeanstevens.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Demographics-Cell-Mostly-Internet-Users.png
- https://www.google.com/search?q=cell+phone+demographics&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X

 

[RowanFae]

I'm on my laptop now, but I use the hellouta my phone. Not for talking. I hate talking on the phone and I don't like texting, but I do love "all the knowledge of the world at my fingertips' that smartphones provide.

I have a Nook app where all my books are stored and an online library app that I can borrow up to 5 audio books a month on my phone or music or movies, I also have a SlingTV app so I can watch TV off my phone or browse the web, navigate from points a to z and all the fun places in between. Smartphones are sweeeeeet.

My phone is an Iphone 6 plus, so it is like a smallish tablet but a largish phone; which is nice because I can actually see most of what is on it

 

[HerzeleidMeister]

It may be an issue of which demographics group you're interested in. Kids under 40-YO largely use smart phones from what I've seen, but after 40, then reading glasses are the norm, and I should think the use of smart phones declines, except used **mainly** for phone calls, rather than web surfing. This graphic bears out my thought, drops rapidly after 29-YO.

This is a very good point and something that I had already pretty much thought of. Its important to make the site accessible for everyone. Making it only accessible to one certain group, cuts off your potential traffic.