According to a new study by Limelight Networks, the State of Digital Downloads report, 45% of consumers are more likely to download digital content of all types than they were a year ago.
And, in just the past few months the smartphone has displaced the PC as the dominant device for the download and consumption of content. 62% of users downloaded content onto Android-based smartphones,
while 43% of Apple’s iPad and 45% Android tablets led the way as the prevalent destination for content downloads.
Beyond OS updates, consumers are leaning mostly toward entertainment for
downloading on these mobile devices:
- New apps (33%)
- Video games (18%)
- And movies and tv shows (13%)
The bulk of downloading occurs at night, as the
hours of 6 p.m.-midnight are “prime time” for acquiring and consuming entertainment, says the report. More than 40% download movies and TV shows during these hours, with 35% similarly
downloading video games and music.
A number of interesting insights were uncovered in the study, says the report:
- The mobile phone is the most dominant device for downloading
content. Beyond OS updates, Movies/TV Shows, Music, and Apps are the most popular downloads
- Consumers tend to download most often at night
- Download speed is critical to providing a
great experience
- When things go wrong with downloading, ISPs are blamed
- Google is winning the content war but Apple isn’t far behind
- When it comes to downloading
content, consumers want control.
- Android is the most dominant smartphone for downloading content but comes in second with tablets
Jason Thibeault, senior director, content
marketing at Limelight Networks, says “… mobile devices are never more than an arm’s length away… (and) have overtaken the PC and laptop for content downloads…
statistics in 2015 showed the smartphone being utilized more regularly than other devices for accessing the Internet… used to be among the Millennial set… now it’s a universal
truth…”
From sun-up to sun-down, consumers are downloading movies, TV shows, apps, music, and more to a variety of devices, a habit that is growing year-over-year. With the
prevalence of Android devices in the market the Google Play store leads the way as the destination for downloading content, and Android devices (especially smartphones) are the dominant mobile
device.
Type Of Device To Which Most Often Content Downloaded (Rank 1-4, Lowest
Score/Most Frequent) |
Device | Most Often Downloaded Rank |
My cellphone | 2.2 |
Personal computer | 2.3 |
A tablet | 2.7 |
Video game console | 3.2 |
E-book reader | 3.3 |
Wearable devices such as a watch | 3.5 |
Source: Limelight State of Digital
Downloads, April 2016 |
The shift to wireless devices brought a swing in expectations, the smaller the screen, the greater the impatience, particularly
among Millennial users. A slowdown or interruption in downloads leads to consumer frustration, as 26% cite “it takes too long to complete the download” as the most significant impediment
to enjoying a great digital experience and blame is directed toward mobile carriers or cable broadband providers. This is particularly true among younger users who download the most content, are the
most easily frustrated, and quickest to ascribe blame when the download experience was less than optimal.
In response, the report say that organizations must ensure that content is
available 24/7/365 and that consumers trust the source from which it is being delivered to guarantee the best possible download experience, says the report. And, organizations must address the
multi-device nature of consumer behavior (especially relevant for videos and other multimedia content) in order to deliver a positive experience regardless of the device employed to download the
content.
Consumers are most often downloading content at nighttime, indicating that is the prime-time for digital content consumption as well (especially for movies/television shows and
music).
Most Downloading At Night |
| Time of Download |
Content | Morning(6am-12pm) | Afternoon(12pm-6pm) | Nighttime(6pm-12am) | Overnight(12am-6am) | Never |
Movies/TV shows | 9.24%1 | 9.73% | 40.36% | 6.13% | 24.53% |
Video games/game updates | 8.21% | 25.98% | 34.73% | 5.36% | 25.71% |
Updates to my phone’s operating system | 16.58% | 23.67% | 36.44% | 11.35% | 11.97% |
New apps/updates to apps | 16.40% | 27.63% | 37.08% | 8.47% | 10.43% |
E-books | 6.38% | 18.51% | 25.52% | 6.02% | 43.58% |
Music | 9.18% | 26.29% | 35.92% | 5.53% | 23.08% |
Newspaper/magazines | 14.11% | 14.82% | 19.32% | 4.13% | 47.62% |
Source: Limelight State of Digital
Downloads, April 2016 |
The results of the survey uncovered that frustration around content downloading is growing for users (especially Millennials).
Although there are many factors that can cause interruption to a download, says the report, the growing number of DDoS attacks could be a leading cause, even if not directed at you. It’s
possible, suggests the report, that your download portal or website could be collateral damage, one property coming under attack could spill over, saturating links within the datacenter and
making it difficult for users to reach your software.
Based on the analysis of the survey results, the report has the following recommendations:
- Content security is
critical and should be approached in layers
- Multi-device delivery is a must
- Employ a CDN to accelerate your downloads and the download website
For additional information from Limelight, please visit here.