Every now and then, I peek behind the curtain to check my website statistics. It’s a bit like checking the tide charts before going fishing — you don’t always need to know, but it’s interesting when you do.
Right now, my visitors break down roughly like this:
- Mobile: ~60%
- Desktop: ~30%
- Tablet: ~10%
At first glance, that probably looks fairly normal. In fact, compared with the rest of the internet, it’s almost textbook.
Globally, mobile browsing now dominates. Most studies show around 60–64% of all web traffic coming from smartphones, while desktop browsing sits somewhere around 35–40%, and tablets barely register at around 2%.
So my site, more or less, mirrors the global trend: most people arrive with a phone in their hands.
But there’s one small twist.
Over the past year, I’ve noticed desktop traffic creeping up. It used to sit around 20%, and now it’s closer to 30%.
That’s interesting.
Phones are brilliant for scrolling, checking messages, watching quick videos, and doom-scrolling through social media. But when people want to slow down and actually read, something changes. Research shows that visitors typically spend longer on sites when using desktop computers, sometimes by more than a third.
Bigger screens help. Keyboards help. And a chair and desk tend to mean the person has settled in for a while.
Which leads to a possible explanation.
My site is heavy on text. Stories. Essays. Blog posts. A few images here and there, but mostly words.
That kind of content often attracts readers who prefer a larger screen and a quieter browsing environment. It’s a bit like reading a book. You can do it on your phone, but many people still prefer a proper seat and a bigger page.
Does that say something about my readers’ ages?
Maybe. Older readers tend to use desktops more often than younger audiences who live almost entirely on their phones. But it might also reflect intent rather than age. Someone who arrives ready to read a 1,000-word article may simply switch devices.
In other words:
Phones are for quick visits.
Desktops are for settling in.
And if my desktop numbers are slowly rising, it might mean something simple — people aren’t just visiting the site.
They’re actually staying to read.
–Michael (Dark fiction. Author of SEETHINGS (the first book), free for a limited time)
SEETHINGS promises a gripping psychological thriller that blends murder, passion, and secrets of a sexless marriage. Forman’s vivid prose draws readers into a world where lightning illuminates the skies and hidden truths. As the storm clouds gather, Mitchell’s journey promises to unravel more than just the mystery of the murders.
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