It may seem like people are using their smartphones to text a friend, check Facebook, or browse the news if they’re bored, but according to the Pew Research Center more than half of the people with smartphones have also used their phones for important tasks.
- 62 percent get information about a health issue
- 57 percent use online banking
- 44 percent look for a place to live
- 40 percent access government services
- 30 percent take a class
- 18 percent apply for a job
- People who earn less than $30,000 (USD) are almost twice as likely to use a smartphone to look up employment information and four times as likely to apply for a job with their smartphones.
These numbers are even higher for people aged eighteen to twenty-nine:
- 75 percent get information about a health issue
- 70 percent use online banking
- 44 percent take a class
- 34 percent apply for a job
Takeaways
If you provide job listings for lower-income people online, remember that most of them will be accessing the information and applying via a smartphone. Make sure your product is designed to work well with a smartphone.
If you provide local or world news, products related to health banking, employment, or online education, assume that a large percentage of your target audience is accessing your information from a smartphone.
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