Analysts have long predicted that mobile Internet access will overtake the PC. Gartner has now predicted when this will happen.
According to Gartner’s research, mobile phones will overtake PCs for Internet access in 2013. As per their estimates, the number of PCs in 2013 will reach 1.78 billion, while the number of Internet-compatible mobile phones will be 1.82 billion. Of this, the number of smart phones is predicted to be 1.32 billion, while the number of enhanced phones, which have media or application capabilities, but no local operating system, will be 0.5 billion.
Gartner also expect that PCs will continue to be used for the majority of page views in 2013, but website access will be mostly through mobile phones. By 2015, however, mobiles are predicted to become the main mode of accessing the web.
Assuming that these predictions will come true, it would be prudent for companies to ensure that their websites, portals and Web applications are fully supported for mobile access.
Another fact webmasters must keep in mind is that mobile users are generally less patient than the average PC user. Hence, ensuring that users can access the desired page with a minimal number of clicks should be a priority.
Organisations that deal with consumers through their website will soon need to make sure that their sites support mobiles, as they would face greater losses than those who have business-to-business applications. For instance, banks, online retailers, government offices, educational institutions especially need to heed this change.
