A recent report has indicated that there has been a massive increase in the number of people with online access, which could help to further web-based trade.
According to the ‘Digital, Social and Mobile in 2015’ paper, which was produced by We Are Social, about 42% of the world’s population now has access to the Internet, having risen from 35% at the beginning of 2014.
With a total global population of around 7.2 billion, this means that the increase equates to about an extra half a billion people now online. Much of this, it is theorised, is down to the prevalence of internet-enabled mobile devices in emerging markets.
The study revealed that around a third of all traffic on the web is coming from smartphones and tablets, with the numbers even higher in developing nations. For example, mobiles account for 72% of all internet activity in India, which is one of the BRIC states, and 89% of traffic in Papua New Guinea.
As such, the research revealed the importance for those involved in web design and internet marketing to factor in mobile-friendly initiatives to their plans. This is especially the case as the percentage of traffic from handheld devices is only predicted to rise by the study.
Companies using social media for customer engagement and reputation management are also likely to see a boost from their online investments, with around a third of the world’s population predicted to be using such sites by the end of the year.