The latest comScore mobile Media Metrix and Mobilens study found that in November 2010, while visits to web email sites decreased 6 percent, the number of users accessing email via their mobile phones and smartphones grew by 36 percent.
In November 2010, 70.1 million mobile users (30 percent of all mobile
subscribers) accessed email on their mobile phone, an increase of 36 percent
from the previous year. Daily usage of email showed an even greater
increase, growing 40 percent, as 43.5 million users turned to their mobile
devices on a nearly daily basis for their email communication needs.
Accessing mobile email increased by double digits across all age
segments. Younger age groups showed a higher probability of accessing
email from their mobile devices as compared to older segments. Persons aged
25-34 were 60 percent more likely to access email than an average mobile
user, with those between the ages of 18-24 being 46 percent more likely
to do so, representing the two age segments with the highest
propensity. Overall, males were 14 percent more likely to be users of
mobile email.
"In a relatively short period of time, adoption of mobile email has
reached 78 percent of the smartphone population, which is very similar
to the penetration of web-based email among Internet users. These
findings demonstrate just how quickly channel shifts can occur and why
it's now essential for media brands to have a strong presence in both
arenas," said Mark Donovan, comScore Senior Vice President, Mobile.
An
analysis of web-based email trends revealed that fewer Americans
visited web-based email destinations and spent less time doing so versus
last year. In November 2010, more than 153 million people visited
web-based email providers, decreasing 6 percent from the previous year.
In terms of engagement, overall time spent in the email category
declined 9 percent, while total pages viewed dropped 15 percent. Despite
such declines, however, it should be noted that email remains one of
the most popular activities on the web, reaching more than 70 percent of
the U.S online population each month.
An analysis of email users' demographic characteristics revealed that
young users, those between the ages of 12-17, showed the sharpest
decline in usage during the past year. The number of visitors from this
age segment declined 24 percent, while engagement fell by half as total
minutes decreased 48 percent and total pages dropped 53 percent.
Engagement also declined among users 18-54, as a general shift in email
behavior was evident across most segments.
In contrast, usage
increased among those 55 and over. The number of 55-64 year olds
accessing web-based email increased 15 percent with similar gains in
engagement, while those age 65+ experienced gains across all three
metrics as well. When looking at email usage among males and females,
males displayed a more dramatic decline in usage than females, with
total email minutes falling 12 percent for males compared to 7 percent
among females.