It may seem like people are using their smartphones to text a friend, check social media, 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 many 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 with lower incomes 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.
Takeaways
- When 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.
- When 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. Make sure your designs work on a smartphone.