The WebStrategies benchmark blog post series has covered a variety of site engagement metrics. So far we have taken a dive into how long users remain on credit union websites, how many users leave credit union sites without viewing another page, how the users came to the website, and who these users are. 

If you need to catch up on any of these previous blog posts, you can do so here: 

How Long Does the Average Visitor Spend on a Credit Union Website?

What is the Average Bounce Rate for Credit Union Websites?

Where Does the Average Credit Union Website’s Traffic Come From?

What is the Average Organic Traffic Growth for a Credit Union Website?

What is the Average Age of Visitors to Credit Union Websites?

Today we're getting a glimpse of what devices credit union website users are on. 

More Site Visitors are Using Smartphones

It is no secret that our digital landscape is changing. In a span of 10 years, smartphones have become a means of gaining information, arranging transportation, making memories through photography and videography, and so much more. 

Unsurprisingly, mobile traffic is growing across industries, including credit unions. In a span of a year, WebStrategies credit union clients saw an 11% increase of mobile traffic. See below: 

Many industries report even more mobile traffic - closer to 50%. 

Why would credit unions report lower levels of mobile traffic than other industries? It could be for one of many reasons. Perhaps your credit union has a membership that leans more advanced in age (and utilizes smartphones less)? It could be that people prefer using desktop over a small phone screen for financial decisions. Or maybe your credit union has invested in a functional mobile app. Mobile app use does not count as mobile traffic. 

As smartphone use continues to grow, you should expect to see mobile traffic to grow as well. 

What Credit Union Marketers Need to Understand about Mobile Traffic

What does this mean? As a credit union marketer in 2020, this is imperative: consider the mobile experience! 

When credit unions go through a website redesign project, many marketers tend to focus on the desktop experience alone (since that is where they work every day). But we need to place the same emphasis on the mobile user experience because traffic here will only continue to grow. 

What if your marketing team held a meeting where you were only permitted to bring your smartphone - no laptops allowed? This would force you to consider the mobile user experience. It might be something to consider to truly put yourself in the user's shoes. 

How to Find This Data in Google Analytics

1. Click “Audience”. 
2. Click “Mobile”.
3. Click “Overview”. 
4. This will show your desktop and mobile breakdown. 

The better you understand site engagement metrics like mobile vs. desktop traffic, the better you can engage with your credit union membership (and potential membership). 

One of the pain points of any user, desktop or mobile, is site load time. We will investigate this metric for credit union websites in our next benchmark blog series post.