This guest post is by Alexandra Carroll, director of research firm Summus, Limited.
For years, companies have chased and measured “stickiness” – the amount of time spent on a website – as the holy grail of brand engagement. But what if stickiness doesn’t matter anymore? What if the amount of time users spend with a brand is shrinking? Does that mean the brand is faltering? Not necessarily.
The rise of smartphones has changed consumers’ interaction with companies in ways that might have traditional Internet marketers worried. Even if a company has a mobile website or, better yet, a mobile application, smartphone-usage patterns are different from those of laptops or desktops. While Nielsen research suggests that smartphone users spend almost an hour each day “actively interacting with the web and apps on their phone,” Summus research helps to further contextualize that data.
Our study of smartphone users reveals that they are growing accustomed to frequent, short intervals on their devices. Almost half of smartphone owners reported using their device in intervals of five minutes or less at least 10 times a day. So while they might be spending an hour actively engaged, it is not a solid hour or even two half-hour sessions. It is more likely 12 five-minute sessions scattered throughout the day. Much of this time is spent on social media apps such as Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, which allow users to quickly update their friends and followers on their activities and locations. Two-thirds of smartphone users use their device for social networking — 65% of Apple iPhone and 80% of Google Android users social-network on their phone. As Android continues to gain market share, this trend is sure to continue.
The implications of this are substantial, because it means companies must develop mobile interactions that can happen quickly and frequently. Users are unlikely to wait a minute for content to load, and if repeat visits do not yield new information or experiences, users will probably abandon the app or site for more dynamic ones. Call it technologically induced ADD if you will, but mobile-computing devices have made us impatient and hungry for information, entertainment or something to stave off boredom. This puts pressure on companies to provide the quick fix we want. As companies rely more heavily on social media platforms to connect with their customers, these usage patterns should guide their development efforts.
In addition, companies will have to adjust their expectations as well as their measurements. For instance, perhaps the measurement is not minutes per day but visits per day, no matter how short. Based on anecdotal evidence, Facebook has a highly engaging brand, and its mobile app allows users to scan status updates in less than a minute. In fact, there are plenty of Facebook users who prefer the mobile interface because it eliminates many of the distractions and superfluous features of the website. It is easy to get on, take a quick peek and be on to the next thing. Facebook is expanding its brand on these short, frequent interactions. Stickiness has become more about frequency than duration, and the most agile brands have learned to adapt to this mobile reality.
If you are interested in more metrics on how behavior changes with mobile usage, check out Summus, Limited’s white paper “From Apps to Maps: Smartphone Usage By Adoption Wave” on the company’s website.
Twitter
Facebook
Linkedin
RSS
[...] Is “stickiness” a thing of the past?. Or is mobile the thing of the future? ”…study of smartphone users reveals that they are growing accustomed to frequent, short intervals…” Share this:TwitterFacebookEmailLinkedInLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Facebook, foursquare, Google Android, iPhone, smartphone, stickiness, twitter by sumofablog. Bookmark the permalink. [...]
[...] full article….via Is “stickiness” a thing of the past?. From SmartBrief Share OptionsPrintTwitterEmailMoreFacebookLinkedInStumbleUponRedditDiggLike [...]
interesting observations. can't help but wonder though if this is a result of new viewing habits or rather of an immature marketplace? perhaps as mobile becomes more established, the tools involved in mobile begin to mature and the people who are heavy mobile users get more established in their viewing habits we might see a swing back to stickiness? then again, perhaps we'll see traditional web experiences begin to scale down and develop based on some of the competencies we are seeing from mobile (twitter really leaps to mind as good example).
Good point David. I totally agree that there will be a maturation of the technology, but there is something inherently casual about mobile devices, no? Our analysis looks at mobile behavior by adoption wave (early vs middle vs late adopters) and the findings are pretty cool. The longer people have a smartphone and the more habituated they become, the more they use it for short intervals. This is why I think there could be a real shift in our engagement – from duration to frequency. It will be interesting to watch the trend to see how it develops. We're going to continue our research and will report back.
good stuff. we'll see where it all leads. I will say this regarding shorter viewing patterns, I wonder how big a factor battery life is when it comes to mobile. In any event thanks for the reply back and also for sharing some more info. you guys are up to some interesting things!
I agree that stickiness of a site isn't as important anymore, but stickiness of branded content is. The fact that ppl send so much time on Facebook doens't mean that the time they spend with brands on Facebook is bigger than it used to be or that they are spending the same account on branded Facebook pages as they spent on that brands microsite.
Yes, ppl are spending more time on social networks, on their phones and with apps, but I think it's important that we don't all rush to do branded experiences in all of these places just because ppl are spending more time with them. It's about creating a conversation and moveable and shareable content is so key for that. It's about creating a strategic approach to speaking to all of these audiences not rushing to be everywhere.
I don't know about all of you, but am struggling to just get to use my laptop in a daily basis due to loads of meetings. My one savior throughout these busy times is my iPhone of just getting tidbits of info about what's in my email and social sites. So, yes the trend will continue that most buys folks that have competing time priorities will likely tend to use their mobile smart devices. So, most likely, this trend will continue and just need to adapt to the future user requirements.
I totally agree Miriam. As our lives have gotten busier and there are more demands on our time, these devices have become a saving grace – or an albatross, depending on your perspective
. I think a really interesting trend to watch is the reduction of time spent on laptops and desktops in the advent of smartphones. Our data that points to a time when traditional computers become industrial machines once more and very few people use them for personal computing. Very interesting!
[...] Is “stickiness” a thing of the past? This guest post is by Alexandra Carroll, director of research firm Summus, Limited. For years, companies have chased and measured “stickiness” – the amount of time spent on a website – as the holy grail of brand engagement. But what if stickiness doesn”t matter anymore? What if the amount of time users spend with a brand is shrinking? [...]
[...] Is “stickiness” a thing of the past? [...]
[...] The source article: Is “stickiness” a thing of the past? [...]
[...] stickiness … Is “stickiness” a thing of the past? — Smart Blog on Social [...]
You make a great point. Many people don't have the time to sit for an hour and be engaged on the internet. They take what ever free time they have and try to get the most done in the time interval. I think other measurements that would be important would be likes and retweets, things that need the person to only push a button, and don't take up any time.
[...] Apps Just Got More Mobile-Friendly AT&T Toggle Keeps Your Work and Personal Mobile Life Separate Is “stickiness” a thing of the past? LD_AddCustomAttr("AdOpt", "1"); LD_AddCustomAttr("Origin", "other"); LD_AddCustomAttr("LangId", [...]