Changing the Internet

Recently, Cloudflare run the #builtforthis campaign, referring to the internet. The main content of this campaign is a video showing today’s new normal at home, at work, at meetings, in education, in markets, in human interaction. Internet was built for something like the current situation, but we are the ones that shape it and change it. Today’s new normal will be tomorrow’s digital habits.

Recent data from the U.S. show how traffic and user behavior have changed over the past couple of months.

Desktop first

We stayed put, stayed at home more than ever and that translated into more traffic coming through our desktop rather than our mobile phones.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/07/technology/coronavirus-internet-use.html

Before the pandemic mobile first was the rule but this shows an important shift.

Social distancing forced us to trust video chats, there was no other option for human interaction. Phone conversations weren’t enough, we wanted to see each other while talking or while working remotely. This led to the conclusion that some face to face meetings weren’t necessary, after all. Video chatting will still be a popular option in the post-covid era for medical appointments, therapy sessions, and professional meetings.

Live human interaction is irreplaceable without a doubt but having the ability to work remotely expands the market with people being able to work from a different city, country, or even continent. This may lead to new usage of a company website, whose main goal will not be to simply showcase the company but will be used for transactions as well.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/07/technology/coronavirus-internet-use.html

Data from the U.S. confirm a huge increase in online sales. This was expected as being in lockdown users didn’t have any other option but to look for a solution online.

Find more statistics at Statista

Online grocery shopping saw the same increase and people started forming a new habit. Even though shoppers liked to handpick their groceries, iIf the market will live up to their expectations, people might continue to shop online even after the pandemic.

Find more statistics at Statista

The current situation might benefit smaller businesses. With the majority of large businesses being overwhelmed by the volume of orders, people turned to smaller businesses, which quickly managed to adapt and showcased their products online.

We see more and more groceries, mini markets, and other types of smaller businesses that didn’t have an online presence to offer their products through online shopping. These data are drawn from GoDaddy, the largest website hosting provider worldwide. Having access to millions of websites it can track these changes, mostly in America, according to the NY Times. This is a tendency that might reduce the economic consequences of the pandemic on a local level.

Another field that could benefit in the long run after the pandemic is education. We see that schools take advantage of technology and offer online courses and online material for the students, which in Greece was evolving very slowly compared to other western countries.

It is becoming obvious that education no longer stops inside the school or university classroom. E-learning becomes valuable and anyone can upgrade their skills without time and space limitations.

Electronic prescription seemed like something that would be available only in the distant future in Greece. However, the state managed to adapt quickly in times of need and gave the option to all citizens to get help online. At the same time, this benefits people of all ages and social profiles, making them acquainted with electronic transactions, which will eventually expand to the public sector.

The next few months will be critical, first regarding the pandemic and then for the global economy. When we get through this, things will be very different and it will be necessary to record all aspects of our life that have been affected and in what way.

The lockdown and the social distancing will, unavoidably, create new digital habits. Will they last? It’s very probable.
People are being forced to become digitally educated but this will not go to waste, as a lot of time and effort was put into this by users who turned online to satisfy their basic needs.

At MDesigners we believe in open communication between prospect clients and designers, aiming at creating visual identities and experiences that will move and inspire their audience.