The day has come that mobile Internet has exceeded that of conventional desktop computers. Last October - and for the first time in history - 51,3% of web connections worldwide came from smart phones or tablets compared to the classic computer that covered the remaining 48,7%.

Responsive web design  is turning into a crucial source of success in any digital project.

This data is shown by StatCounter, a company focused on web analysis and netizen behaviour. Their study was based on over 2,5 million websites and over 15 billion pages visited per month.

Aodhan Cullen, CEO of StatCounter stated:

" Mobile compatibility is increasingly important not just because of growing traffic but because Google favours mobile friendly websites for its mobile search results."

Data from StatCounter Global Stats

Responsive web design

The quote from the CEO is in synch with the recent tool that Google launched on the market.The search engine lets users know the performance of their website and whether it fits the requirements of a responsive web.

The mobile compatibility has become relevant not only due to usability and traffic - which have enough relevance already - but rather due to the relevance granted by the search engine. Google favours mobile-friendly websites in its organic search ranking and improves websites' internal score in Adwords campaigns.

Although the report is on a global level, the data deserves a broader socio-economic analysis that looks at specific cases.

For example, in the US (58%) and the United Kingdom (55,6%) the use of desktop computers is higher than that of smart phones. On the contrary, in India 75% of Internet access is via smart phones.

The study offers more interesting data about user behaviour. Users between 18 and 35 years old are the most connected and represent the age group that most uses mobiles for browsing.

All of this information is useful in defining marketing strategies, website development and the implementation of advertising campaigns.

Source: StatCounter Global Stats