2019 was the year when many major markets got their first taste of 5G, the next generation of broadband for smart devices. 5G promises to offer internet speeds up to 10 times faster than that offered by the current generation of smartphones as well as improved signal. 2020 will be the first year the impact of 5G on digital marketing is felt.
In 2020, 5G will move beyond its current niche market share to reach a wider audience; by the end of 2019 30 major cities in the US will have access to 5G, but by the time 2020 comes to a close, 50% of the country will have access. In the UK 5G is currently available in seventeen cities but plans for significant expansion are also penciled in for 2020
Germany was another major European markets that rolled out 5G in 2019. This started with just two cities, Berlin and Bonn, but by 2020 the service will be available in twenty of land's largest cities.
Italy didn't start much bigger with services first rolling out in Milan, Turin, Bologna, Rome and Naples. In 2020, Italy's total will rise to fifty cities. Major markets France and India are a little behind first rolling out in 2020.
China is the furthest ahead with the transition, rolling out 5G in 50 cities this year. By 2020 China is forecast to reach 110 million 5G users.
Another reason why 2020 will be the year when 5G takes off comes down to the type of smartphones that will be available. In 2019 the only 5G compatible smartphones on the market are expensive top-end Android phones such as Samsung's Galaxy S10 5G and the Huawei Mate X.
Next year will be the first time mid-price range Android handsets enter the market. This means that it won't just be people who like to be on the cutting edge buying into 5G. Speaking of those types, 2020 will also be the first year that Apple, the ultimate trendsetter, releases its first 5G smartphones. Their entry into the market will certainly make more people pay attention to.
All of this will make 2020 the year that digital marketing first feels the impact of 5G, and it's only just beginning. 5G subscriptions are forecast to reach 1.9 billion, covering over 65 percent of the world's population by 2024. So, to keep you ahead of the game, here are three big effects of 5G on digital marketing to look out for in 2020.
One of the biggest questions surrounding 5G and digital marketing is: what impact will it have on the number of desktop and smartphone internet users? Smartphone users already represent the slim majority. But desktop users are still very important in the 4G generation. A key saving grace for desktops has been the data limits placed on the majority of smartphones.
These limitations will not affect the 5G generation in the same way. The increased capabilities of the 5G network will make unlimited data packages an affordable option for many Smartphone users. Factor in that the sales of laptops and desktop PCs and tablets are in decline and that younger generations don't use landlines anymore, and we see a further shift away from desktops to smartphones as increasingly likely.
This development makes it likely that sooner, rather than later, websites that are not smartphone-friendly will become obsolete. Site owners must make sure that their websites are optimized for mobile-first.
This also means that the smartphone user experience will become by far the most important concern for site design and sales conversation strategies. For more tips in this area check out this article on three of the most important ranking factors
Faster load speeds will also change user expectations. When users get used to this new speed they will become less forgiving of websites that are slow to load. We already know that if a website takes more than 3 seconds to load 58% of mobile users will go elsewhere. When 5G goes mainstream expect this time to get even shorter. Those websites that haven't optimized their websites for speed and accessibility will take a big hit to their bounce and sales rates.
As speed becomes more and more important, we can also expect Google and other search engines to increase its importance as a ranking factor, along with mobile accessibility.
We can already see movement in this direction from Google who is developing badges for its Chrome browser to tell the user which sites load slowly and quickly. This all means that website owners, who haven't sorted out these areas, might find that 2020 is the year that it finally catches up with them.
It was the widespread everyday use of the previous generations of Smartphones that lead to the emergence of Local SEO as a vital digital marketing channel. Today most consumers expect to be able to find a business's details and review profile.
As 5G makes mobile internet quicker and more accessible, this need will only intensify. All of this will make a good Local SEO strategy make or break Businesses must ensure that they can be found in all of the right local directories and online maps. Otherwise,they will be overlooked by 5G users.
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