The End Of An Era – Mobile Traffic To Grow 300% By 2017

Remember personal computers? Sure you do, they’re still around, but only for now. In case you missed the memo Smartphones and Tablets are actually replacing regular computers (source GIGAOM). Yes I still use a personal computer (laptop) but could see a more beefed-up tablet with a keyboard eventually replacing this big metal lug that I take with me around the world.

Now new data shows that mobile traffic will grow by a whopping 300% (source TechCrunch) by 2017 which means if you’re not thinking about mobile, you’re not thinking about customers because this is where you’ll find them.

So what’s driving this massive growth? Video.

Online Video

That’s right, people are watching more video than they ever have online and it’s only accelerating in pace. It used to take a big honking camera like the one shown above to record video, now the phone in your pocket can do it, and in HD.

While Google is the #1 search engine in the world, You Tube (also owned by Google) is #2. Vine showed the world that even short videos are addicting and it has become one of the fastest growing networks ever (read more about Vine). Now Instagram has joined the short video bonanza and yes, we’re just getting started, these are still the early days.

How does this impact all of us? In a lot of different ways. Whether you are a startup founder, website developer, SEO guru, or Domainer a 300% growth in mobile traffic will change our world in many different ways. Some companies will embrace this and reap the rewards, others will keep doing what they’ve been doing for years and get clobbered.

In business there is no stagnation, especially in the Internet business where things change on a monthly basis. Staying relevant is critical and understanding how mobile will impact your business isn’t a long-term thing, it’s a now thing.

Photo Credit: kino-eye via Compfight cc

Morgan Linton

Morgan Linton