60+ Mobile Marketing Statistics You Need to Know In 2023
arrow_back Marketing Statistics

60+ Mobile Marketing Statistics You Need to Know In 2023


In this Marketing Report:

With more than 6 billion people carrying mobile devices, the way we consume content and buy products has changed. As a result, companies have had to find other ways to stay in touch with their customers. Websites alone are not enough. They now need to be mobile-friendly, as users are more likely to search for places and solutions on the go. These mobile marketing statistics also show an increase in the use of mobile apps.

 Through these 60+ statistics, we will take a closer look at what companies are doing to improve the lines of communication with their audiences. We will also stop and examine how people have responded. Mobile is now leading the way we browse the web. Let’s dive in!

Global Mobile Marketing Statistics

8.6 billion

mobile phone subscriptions worldwide

56.86%

of all global web traffic comes from mobile devices

Ads

Mobile ads account for 64% of total global digital ad spend

Global Mobile Phone Website Traffic Share 2014-2023

  • Since 1993, mobile phone subscriptions have risen. From 34 million to 8.648 billion today.
  • Over the past decade, we have seen a surge in web traffic coming from mobile phones. The 2023 average shows that 56.86% of all global web traffic comes from mobile devices. (Statista)
  • And this number is only expected to keep on growing. By 2025, we can expect it to cover 25% more. (Smart Insights)
  • COVID-19 drove digital adoption to the point that more than 40% of online transactions take place on mobile devices. (Think with Google)
  • By 2024, mobile advertising spending worldwide is expected to reach nearly $413 billion. (Statista)
  • Mobile advertising accounts for 64% of total global digital ad spending. This figure is expected to grow by 2% every year for the next 3 years. (StockApps)
  • In EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa), the top three mobile advertising channels are Google Ads, Facebook, and Unity. (Ground Truth)
  • For 2022, the top three mobile markets by consumer spending are:
    • China: $58 billion
    • United States: $42 billion
    • Japan: $17 billion. (Data.ai)
  • In Europe, the top three mobile markets by consumer spending in 2021 were:
    • United Kingdom: $2.5 billion
    • Germany: $2.4 billion
    • France: $2 billion in 2021. (Data.ai)
  • Facebook is still the king of social media platforms. 94% of their ad revenue comes from mobile. (The Social Shepherd)
  • 63% of retailers say social media is the best place to run ads. (Semrush)

SMS Marketing Statistics

SMS

41% of consumers prefer SMS to email

5 min.

60% of people read SMS messages within 5 minutes

35%

of brands have a formal SMS messaging strategy

Reasons why businesses use SMS marketing in their digital marketing efforts

User Preference Statistics

  • When it comes to communication channels, 41% of consumers prefer SMS to email. (Thrive)
  • Nine out of 10 people open their SMS text messages, while email open rates are around 21%. (Mobile Monkey)
  • Over 60% of people read SMS messages within 5 minutes of receiving them. (Simple Texting)
  • 74% of customers want a human to respond to their SMS messages, not an automated bot. (GlobeNewswire)
  • 75% of people under the age of 44 like to contact businesses via SMS. (Startup Bonsai)
  • More than half of consumers make a purchase after receiving a marketing text. (Attentive Mobile Consumer Report)

Business SMS marketing statistics

  • While SMS messages are a huge part of digital marketing, only 35% of brands have a formal SMS messaging strategy. (SlickText)
  • 96% of marketers report that using SMS has helped them increase sales. It’s reported to generate $71 for every $1 spent. (Attentive Mobile)
  • Businesses use SMS marketing because of its ease of use (22%), its low cost (21%), its high reach (18%), and its security (15%). (PWC Esendex Report)
  • The top industries using SMS marketing are:
    • Real Estate: 17.9%
    • Agriculture: 15.9%
    • Entertainment:15.4%
    • Construction: 14%
    • Energy: 13%
    • Airlines: 12.3% (SMS Comparison)

Mobile Marketing App Statistics

SMBs

50% of small businesses have a mobile app

89%

Mobile apps account for 89% of mobile media time

255 billion

downloads of mobile apps in 2022

Most downloaded mobile apps in 2022

  • Over 50% of small businesses have a mobile app. (Make a Website Hub)
  • Mobile websites account for only 11% of mobile media time, while apps account for 89%. (Business 2 Community)
  • The most downloaded apps in 2022 were Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. (Adjust)
  • But, the mobile apps that generated the most consumer spending in 2022 were: TikTok, YouTube, and Tinder. (Adjust)
  • There were 255 billion downloads of mobile apps in 2022, representing 11% year-over-year growth. (Adjust)
  • In 2022, the mobile app market earned $167 billion, which is 2% less than the previous year. (Adjust)
  • Shopping apps accounted for 58% of all e-commerce installs in 2022. Temu, Shein, and Amazon are the most popular in the US market. (Adjust)
  • In 2022, smartphone users spent nearly 110 billion hours using shopping apps – 9% more than in 2021. (Adjust)
  • Video streaming apps were #1 in both downloads and consumer spending in 2022, with a 16% share. Disney+ was the leading app in this sub-genre. (Adjust)
  • The click-through rate (CTR) for in-app ads is 0.56% globally, compared to 0.23% for web mobile ads (Siteefy).

Mobile Marketing Audience Statistics

7 billion

86% of the world’s population will have a smartphone by 2023

5 hours

Smartphone users spend an average of 5 hours/day on their mobile phones

Bathroom

75% of Americans take their mobile device to the bathroom

Most people use their smartphones in the toilet.

  • By the end of 2023, there will be nearly 7 billion smartphone users in the world: 6.92 billion to be exact. That’s 86% of the world’s population. (Statista)
  • According to 2022 data, smartphone users spend an average of 5 hours per day on their mobile phones, which is one-third of their daily waking hours. (Statista)
  • Mobile device usage statistics indicate that there will be 7.7 billion smartphone users by 2027. (Statista)
  • China is the country with the most smartphone users, while Thailand is the country with the fewest. (Statista). In Europe, the countries with the highest smartphone penetration are:
    • Germany: 81.9%, or 68.25 million users
    • Turkey: 75% or 64 million users
    • United Kingdom: 82.2% or 55.46 million users
    • France: 82.6% or 53.37 million users (Newzoo)

Mobile Usage Statistics

  • 75% of Americans take their mobile device to the bathroom. Gen Z, Gen Y, and Gen X admit they almost always do it. (Convince & Convert)
  • Android is the world’s most popular mobile operating system with a 72.48% market share. (Stat Counter)
  • 81% of emails are opened and read on mobile phones. (Super Office)
  • 91% of smartphone owners either make or plan a purchase after seeing an ad on their smartphone. (Think with Google)
  • 47% of consumers do more of their shopping on mobile than in-store. In contrast, only 32% of Baby Boomers prefer mobile to shopping in a physical store. (Ibotta)
  • Facebook remains the largest social media platform with nearly 3 billion users. It’s followed by:
    • YouTube: 2.5 billion users
    • WhatsApp: 2 billion users
    • Instagram: 2 billion users. (Kepios Analysis)

Mobile Marketing Trends

70%

of smartphone users report disliking mobile ads

Personalization

79% are willing to share personal information in exchange for contextualized engagement

Video

63% of mobile media time is spent streaming/watching video

Mobile Advertising Spending Worldwide

  • In 2022, the global mobile ad spend reached $336 billion, growing 14% year-over-year.
  • Mobile ads are a significant customer turn-off, 70% of smartphone users report disliking them. (HubSpot)
  • Companies in the U.S. spend 11.2% of their marketing budget on their mobile marketing strategy. (Statista)
  • 91% of consumers say they are more likely to buy from brands that provide relevant offers and recommendations. (Accenture)
  • 72% of consumers say they only engage with personalized messages. (SmarterHQ)
  • 69% of people use the Internet on the go. (Semrush)
  • 80% of consumers like to receive location-based alerts. (Salesforce)
  • The vast majority of customers (79%) are willing to share personal information in exchange for contextualized engagement. (Salesforce)
  • 91% of mobile consumers prioritize quality content. In fact, content remains one of the best ways to help customers get to know your brand. (Small Biz Genius)
  • 63% of mobile media time is spent streaming/watching video. Yet, half of the marketers say they feel their organization is not using video to its full potential. (Semrush)

Mobile Marketing Search Statistics

96%

of smartphone users prefer Google for mobile search

Competitor

40% of mobile users who have a bad experience with a website go directly to the competitor

Local

88% of consumers search for local businesses on their mobile phones

Share of Mobile Searches by Industry

  • 96% of smartphone users prefer Google for mobile search. (Web FX)
  • 60% of all Google searches are done on mobile devices. (Digital Examiner)
  • 60% of smartphone users have contacted a business directly from Google Search results. (Think With Google)
  • Mobile is used by 51% of consumers to find and buy new products or services. (Think With Google)
  • 40% of mobile users who have a bad experience with a website go directly to the competitor shortly thereafter. (AdStriangle)
  • 75% will turn to mobile search first for immediate needs, from finding nearby restaurants to hiring a handyman. (Business 2 Community)
  • 88% of consumers search for local businesses on their mobile phones. (IMPACT)
  • 70% of mobile searches result in an online action. (Review 42)
  • Consumers (35%) who searched for a product or service on their phones spent more than expected in the store. (Think With Google)
  • 55.4% of Internet users use mobile phones to make online purchases. (DataReportal)

Mobile Web Statistics

Africa

is the continent with the highest percentage of traffic from mobile devices

80%

of the top-ranked websites are mobile-friendly

0.1 sec

Reducing mobile site speed by 0.1 seconds results in an 8% increase in conversions

Average Industry Website Load Time

  • Over 55% of website traffic comes from mobile devices. (Exploding Topics)
  • Africa is the continent with the highest percentage of web traffic coming from mobile devices (69.13%). And Oceania is on the other end of the spectrum (39.51%). (Exploding Topics)
  • 80% of the top-ranked websites are mobile-friendly. (Review 42)
  • 54.4% of the world’s websites were read from a mobile device in the 4th quarter of 2021. (Statista)
  • 71% of users expect the mobile version of a website to load faster or at least just as fast as the desktop version. (Aum)
  • Requesting transport (75.38%) and booking restaurants (69.9%) are the two cases where mobile has the strongest preference over desktop (Sortlist Mobile Vs Desktop Usage Report)
  • 58% of smartphone users feel more positive about companies whose mobile sites or apps remember who they are and their past behavior. (Think With Google)
  • Online mobile experiences matter. 89% of people are more likely to recommend a brand after a satisfactory mobile experience (Think With Google)
  • Reducing mobile site speed by 0.1 seconds results in an 8% increase in conversions. (Deloitte)
  • 59% of shoppers believe the ability to shop on mobile is important when deciding where to buy. (Google/Ipsos)
  • Websites optimized for mobile receive 15% more unique clicks. (Digital Examiner)

Conclusion

With mobile ad spending expected to reach $399,571 million by 2024, you can only conclude that mobile marketing is here to stay. This relatively new marketing niche has shaped the marketing industry in less than 20 years. It has forced marketers to learn and understand how new communication channels work and how users engage with them.

Our compilation of mobile marketing statistics has provided a comprehensive summary of the state of the industry and highlights mobile optimization, apps, and SMS as key trends in digital marketing strategies for businesses worldwide.

Featured in

About the Sortlist Data Hub

The Sortlist Data Hub is the place to be for journalists and industry leaders who seek data-driven reports from the marketing world, gathered from our surveys, partner collaborations, and internal data of more than 50,000 industries.

It is designed to be a space where the numbers on marketing are turned into easy-to-read reports and studies.

close

Access our exclusive content!

email