There’s no denying that we’ve come to rely on our mobile devices increasingly, using them to do everything; from finding directions with location apps, playing games, ordering groceries – and even, sometimes, making phone calls. As the level of daily engagement goes up, so do the opportunities to connect with your audience in a more personal way.

Engaged all day

A recent study revealed that the average time mobile-users in the USA spent on their devices gradually increases over the course of a day, showing that almost always is an opportune moment to reach your audience through mobile. The study showed activity gradually increasing hour-by-hour, up until around 10pm–11pm, when people started putting their phones down to go to sleep. Unlike television, which shows sharp spikes of increased engagement in the evening, mobiles allow people to be engaged with media all day long.

This may not be surprising, when we think about how we engage with our own devices, but this study puts things in context; it shows us that the opportunities to connect are a lot more common than we may have thought.

Gaming, Social & Shopping

Although large portions of these interactions were gaming, social and photo sharing are becoming more important activities too. People are comfortable with using mobile in between other activities, making use of time spent in queues, waiting for friends and getting to their destination.

The study also showed that shopping, although smaller than the other activities, is quite consistent throughout the day. Some businesses have already started to tap into this potential by offering instant-access to shop, whilst removing many of the steps needed for desktop shopping – like scanning product barcodes to add them to your online grocery basket. These kinds of interactions make your customer’s life easier by removing the barriers to their goals (in this case, remembering to buy a certain product), and vastly reducing the thought-time needed to complete them.

How do you make the most of this?

We often tell people that to make a great app, you need to make something relevant, compelling and timely. We now know what we thought was true; that people are always switched onto their devices, so let’s start making the time they spend there better. Whether that’s giving them an easier way to do their groceries, or creating an engaging and magical experience for a visitor attraction.

In light of this study, you should be aiming to find opportunities to interact with your customers at all points in the day. This doesn’t mean frustrating pop-up adverts or impersonal campaigns that only serve to isolate your customers further. What we’re talking about are apps that help ensure loyalty (like the grocery app), but make life just that little bit easier for your customers. Think about how you can give people something extra when they visit one of your locations, or free up some time for them by making your service more mobile.

If you aim to add value to our customers’ lives, they won’t just use your app, they’ll become advocates of what you’re offering.