US mobile web visits increase

US visits to websites from mobile devices were up 34% during the twelve months ending in July, according to data from Nielsen Online.

There were 56.9 million mobile web visits in the US in July 2009, up from 42.5 million visits a year previously, said Nielsen.

While men make up the majority of the US mobile web audience at 53% of visits, up 26% year on year, growth among female users was far higher, up 43%.

Among 13 to 17 year olds, usage was up 45% year on year, while the over-65 group enjoyed 67% growth.

Magna recently forecast that US mobile advertising will grow by 36% this year, rising from $169 million in 2008 to $229 million during the course of 2009.

At the start of September, Juniper Research forecast that adspend on the mobile internet will approach $500 million globally in 2009, rising to nearly $2 billion per annum by 2014.