In the Philippines, almost all Filipino people use a mobile phone in their everyday life. Some of us forget to bring other things, but not our mobile phones. It is useful in the way to communicate with others, and finding the necessary information.

But when it comes to linking a fast growth of mobile technology to a business, some of us may not be aware of the opportunity there is. Some people underestimate the importance of adapting to the change, says that “things would be impacted so much”. Some people on the other hand, overthinks and says “it’s too hi-tech and only for the big companies”.

The aim of this post is to clear such misunderstanding, so that you could better understand how it will impact your business and take necessary steps to adjust to the change. It’s probably far easier than you think.

What we know about Filipinos and mobile phone

Today, everybody knows what mobile phone (or smartphone) is. Every hour, we call, text, take photo, watch videos, play games, with so many available features. Let’s briefly look at relationship of Filipinos and mobile phone.

How are Filipino using a mobile phone?

This is not limited only to Filipinos, but here is how we generally use the mobile phone. Small gadget functions like alarm clocks and calculator are useful, but will not mention here.

Communication tool

Communication is not only limited to calling numbers today. We have application like WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom as the alternative. If you prefer texting, aside from e-mail, most of us are using Facebook Messenger.

Music player

We used to have CD and MP3 player separately, but I think it’s a mobile phone for everyone now. If you are a music lover, you can download and listen to a music while you are working, eating, studying, or exercising.

TV and streaming

Now, we are using it to watch movies and TV shows. With application like Google Play, Netflix, or Amazon Prime Video, we can watch our favorite series under monthly subscription.

Photos and videos

Mobile phone also works as a camera. The latest phone has high-definition screen and large capacity for edit and store the pictures and videos. We use various SNS application to post and share the moment.

Banking

Banking (or transfer of money) is increasing becoming popular in the Philippines. We can use our mobile wallet to make payments and manages your money. It is now common for Filipino people to transfer money to your family and friends using a mobile. It’s fast, easy, secure and safe.

Over 50% of internet traffic in the Philippines is mobile

So, seeing that a mobile phone is really part of Filipino peoples’ life, let’s look at some statistical data. First, according to statista’s data, the number of Filipinos using a mobile phone was 79milions in 2020. By 2026, it’s estimated to reach 91milions. The percentage for internet user penetration in the Philippines in 2022 shows that it’s 75.3%. Because it’s total population, if you exclude people who can’t buy and use the phone, that’s close to 100%.

Second data from Global Stats shows that people using smartphone to access the internet has gradually increased from 2010, and today, it makes up over 50%.

From these facts, it’s clear that a mobile phone has huge impact to our life, as well as to a business which relays on them.

Think about “mobile” if you have a business website

So, now that you have big picture updated, question is where do you go from here. Whether you already have a website or planning a new one, a word of advice would be, asking yourself (or your web designer) “Is my website mobile-friendly?”.

website build before 2016, could be time for renewal

When the smartphone was still a new & expensive thing, people designing a website cared little about how it would appear on different devices.

It was around 2015 that the Google started announcing that it would take “mobile-friendliness” as a factor to consider the quality of website. Today, it’s not only the Google, but most of all, your customer would prefer your website to be “mobile-friendly”.

If you have a website, you could try running this Mobile-Friendly Test by Google. Paste your URL and it will give the result in a minute. If it’s not, then definitely it’s a good to time for renewal.

If you are building a new website, make sure its “responsive design”

The word “responsive design” sounds bit technical, but it’s similar to “mobile-friendly”. What it means is the content of your website will automatically adjust so that it will appear “fit” to whatever device and screen sizes that your user will access from.

If you are using WordPress, it’s simple as selecting the “responsive” themes. There are many themes to choose from with attractive designs and features. (To learn more about WordPress, you can read this article)

Create and work with social media account

For those, who don’t have so much time and money, creating the social media account could be a quick fix. Or, if you know that your audience is younger generation, or your product and services is targeting them, it’s a must to have. In this way, you will be able to establish your presence on the web, at the same time being somewhat “mobile-friendly”.

Running a social media account for business would actually require bit of strategy. To know more about it, please read our article for further information.

We will keep you updated

We hope this article got you updated on mobile and Filipinos and how your business should approach these changes. Here is a summary.

• More than 50% of internet traffic is from mobile phone. It’s big opportunity and impact to your business.
• It’s important to keep your website “mobile-friendly” with use of “responsive design”.
• Depending on budget and audience, approaching from social media is an option.

At Lookupgrade, we work with business of all sizes, recommending cost-effective solutions. To help you adapt to the changes, we believe that our mission is to keep you updated with current technologies and providing sound advice. If you have any questions, please contact us.