It’s no secret that desktops and mobiles rule consumers’ online experience, but when are these devices most prevalent? In a recent study done by Chitika, peak times are examined for mobile vs. desktop usage in the US and Canada. The common belief is that mobile and smartphones will soon be overtaking desktops as more and more users are turning to mobile to do their online searches, but that is not true. What could be driving consumers to turn to one device over the other is the time of day.

Below are two graphs, one for mobile web browsing and one for desktop browsing:

Mobile Web Browsing

Desktop Browsing

 

It seems that mobile and desktop don’t cancel each other out, they complement one another! Mobile peaks during the commuting hours before work and the leisure hours after work whereas desktop rules the work days. This could be beneficial knowledge for marketers when running their online campaigns. What product are you trying to sell? Would a consumer be most receptive to it during leisure or business hours? This knowledge could fuel your ads and where you choose to display them.