Tablet traffic growth outpacing smartphone traffic, study finds

Web traffic generated by tablet computers is growing at breakneck pace and will likely exceed that of smartphones by early 2013, according to a study by Adobe® Systems.

The report shows website visits through tablet computers outpaced smartphones by a factor of nearly 10 during the first two years tablets were on the market. By 2014, tablets will account for approximately 10 percent of all web traffic, according to Adobe.

The study also indicates that consumers find the tablet web experience nearly as engaging as that of traditional PCs. Though laptop and desktop computers currently account for more than three times the traffic that tablets generate, the rapid growth of the mobile devices is closing the gap.

Adobe recommends businesses consider these findings when developing their marketing initiatives. Though PCs still account for the lion's share of website visits, businesses may be wise to account for mobile devices as well in order to reach consumers on their preferred platforms.

A separate study from Cisco® Systems shows similar growth in mobile web traffic. According to that report, mobile traffic levels will increase 18-fold between 2011 and 2016, reaching 10.8 exabytes per month by the end of the forecast period.