Netbiscuits, a developer of applications for the mobile Web, has put together a neat infographic on the mobile Web around the globe — which is shown below.
As reported by Retail TouchPoints: “Consumers’ online behaviors vary depending on their geographic locations. Only 32% of consumers in France spend more than 30 minutes a day on social networks, as opposed to 63% of consumers in India. Technology preferences also vary on a country-by-country basis. For example, Germans like to browse on their smartphones, while Brazilians prefer to use their tablets.”
Mobile is our future. No doubt about it in my opinion. People are spending more and more time on the move. Work doesn’t end when people leave their offices. They need mobile devices to help them manage their tasks and responsibilities.
I am currently taking an Online Journalism course and we are learning how much of a tool our devices have become. No one really owns a “phone” anymore. A more appropriate term might be a “mobile computer”. Let’s give credit where credit is due. I guess what I am trying to say is that we need to embrace the change that technology brings. Those who see it as a burden or money out of their pocket should seriously consider what these new devices are capable of. It should be though about more as an investment. That’s the way I look at it.
Thats exactly why companies need to give more attention on online marketing no matter they are star-ups or large ones. Ecommerce is definitely the trend. I cant stop thinking that one day we dont even need a physical store anymore. Every transaction can be made through internet since the internet technology is getting more and more mature. Even back to 3-4 years ago, I would’ve never thought that one day online shopping could be so easy even just with your mobile phone. But look at now, I shop online and do online banking with my phone all the time! And since phone is becoming more and more “smarter”, I think every company should be aware of the importance of creating mobile-friendly apps or websites to facilitate consumers.
It’s a little frightening to think how easy it is to make so many purchases online whenever we want from a device in the palm of our hand. However the advantages to this growing technology are outstanding! Being mobile is a huge requirement for professionals in today’s world. Being able to do some last minute shopping or banking during one’s commute is extremely convenient! It’s interesting to read how so many Americans have never used online banking. Perhaps we have a higher fear of trust in some of these online apps?
It is interesting to see how countries adapt differently to the internet. There are so many different devices that can be used to access the internet and hundreds of different applications you can use once you’re on it. As shown above, people from Brazil prefer to use tablets to access the web while people from Germany prefer smartphones. This illustrates how although the two cultures may be using the internet for the same things, their cultures have different preferred means of access. Another example shown above is how Brazil is known to participate in mobile banking while the majority of the United States have never made a payment using mobile banking. This scenario illustrates how although the two countries may use similar devices they use them for different things. These scenarios depict how important knowing your target markets culture is while trying to market products.
Technology is always going to be a major part in our lives, so it is very important that marketers stay on top of technology. It stood out to me how certain countries are lagging behind, and how that could cause major problems in the future. Although technology is a great thing in many aspects, it can cause harm when certain countries don’t have the ability to catch up. It is also concerning that mobile banking is so prevalent because many people around the world still feel unsafe with their personal information on the internet. All in all, technology is a very good thing, but in small doses.
I think sometimes we forget that technology is perceived and used differently in various countries. When I went to visit family in Brazil this summer, I did notice a huge difference with technology. Smartphones, which most people don’t even have, aren’t used as much as in the U.S. They are really only starting to get popular now. However, my cousin did use her tablet a lot! Her whole family used the tablet day and night. This relates to the chart above. It’s so strange to see technology differences in my two home countries. It just goes to show how all different aspects of technology vary according to location. I forget that an airplane ride away can drastically change the definition of technology.
We are an interconnected world now whether we like it or not, and different countries have different attitudes towards it as seen by the infographic. Depending on how the technology is used, it would be seen as either benefiting or harming society. What I can say objectively is that there is much less a sense of privacy than ever before. It is very interesting to see how the attitudes, beliefs, and cultures of different countries affect how their people adapt to these changing times.
It is interesting to see the different attitudes towards technology, some of it I don’t find surprising such as the figures regarding China in that they seem more adept in using technology. I did find it surprising that 60% of Americans have not made payment via mobile banking while Brazilians actually prefer it, I would think it would be the opposite. This information just goes to show the importance that companies should develop marketing plans that fit each country and not use a uniform one.
It’s very interesting to see the differences in countries and what they prefer. It makes me wonder if the websites or applications appear differently for each country or if the individuals of a country and more conditioned to a certain thing, making them prefer one thing over the other. What I found most interesting was that French people spend little time on social media period. I wish the USA number had been included for that statistic because I’m sure it would have been much higher. The amount of time we spend on our cell phones on facebook/twitter/instagram is ridiculous.
This is a very interesting thing to show. The differences between different places is so strange. I would never have thought that it would be so different. But, when in one place when things are done one way you tend not to think about how things are done in other places. It is very fascinating to have the statistics laid out in front of you to compare.