For example, categories such as photos and maps skew very heavily towards mobile, with 92 percent and 86 percent of time spent in those respective content categories occurring on a mobile device. These two categories are more often than not used on the go, which naturally favors mobile. Comparatively, the Portals and Business/Finance categories index much higher on desktop devices, with 75 percent and 61 percent of time spent occurring on the more traditional digital platform. An explanation for this is that Portals act as an accessible hub of information on desktop devices, while apps have largely taken on that role on mobile. Moreover, most people engage with the Business/Finance category at work while on their desktop computer.
As we continue to shift into a multi-platform majority environment, it’s important that we recognize that people are not using multiple devices for everything, but rather they are using different devices depending on what is most convenient or effective at that moment. Each platform has its advantages, and these advantages influence how users engage with content.