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Canadians lead the way in cross-device internet usage

Next month, business owners from across Canada will descend upon British Columbia for the 2015 Canadian Internet Marketing Conference where they will learn, be inspired and get the latest information from over 25 top professionals from Google, Twitter, Hootsuite, Indiegogo, Bing, Facebook and Pinterest.

Canadians and Google in 2015

The way Canadians use the internet has changed.

Gone are the days of desktop surfing where you scanned Yahoo! News for the latest headlines, logged into your MySpace profile and sent a few emails to family and friends who happened to also have an “e-mail account."

As we head into 2015, Canadians are leading the cross-device internet usage stats.

Over 55% of all Canadians now own a smartphone. The computing power of a modern smartphone is more powerful now than all of NASA back in 1969 when it sent two astronauts to the moon.

With all of this new access to global information, social platforms and 24/7 communication, it’s no wonder more and more Canadians are using their smartphones to search platforms, such as Google to access  the most up-to date information possible.

In a 2014 study, seven out of 10 Canadian shoppers used their smartphones to help them complete their in-store purchase by searching for additional information. Thirty-three per cent checked reviews, 32 per cent compared prices and twenty-four per cent checked alternatives.

No longer skipping ads

Interestingly enough, a recent study proved that 58 per cent of mobile users now recognize search ads on search results pages, and of those who recognize the ads, 50 per cent indicate the ad helped them find the information they were looking for.

And that makes sense.

Google is getting smarter, business owners are becoming wiser and consumers are benefiting from finding the information they need — and fast.

Consumers are using devices while on the go, accessing information at anytime throughout the day, and finding information within milliseconds. They're getting better deals by comparing competition, checking prices and getting the answers they need without even speaking to a business.

Most business websites not mobile friendly

And just how far behind are business owners?

Let’s forget about digital marketing for a moment — social media, pay-per-click, SEO and digital PR — and instead start with the basics, for example, like a simple web presence. What do we know about websites? Well, we know that over 79 per cent of business websites in Canada are no longer mobile-responsive.

Think about that for a moment.

We have a population that is using mobile devices to search for answers, solutions, products and information all day, every day, but yet nearly eight out of 10 companies do not have a website that works on a mobile device.

Canadian Internet Marketing Conference coming 

Education is key for SMB owners, and conferences can provide that direct information for the benefit of growing your brand online.

Next month, business owners from across Canada will descend upon the Quest University campus in Squamish, British Columbia for the 2015 Canadian Internet Marketing Conference where they will learn, be inspired and get the latest information from over 25 top professionals from Google, Twitter, Hootsuite, IndieGoGo, Bing, Facebook and Pinterest.

Book your tickets today with Vancouver Observer code VanOb15 and get 15% off all tickets. 

About the Author

Christian Thomson is a leading digital marketing consultant at Marwick Internet Marketing, a trusted digital partner for small and medium-sized businesses in British Columbia.

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