All About Market Research
Your North American Online Customers and
Broadband
Changes in world Internet usage in general,
and the effect of broadband access on that usage is a phenomenon
that will profoundly impact your Web marketing decisions for
years to come. Fast Internet stimulates usage.
Most of us find these details interesting,
even if we’re already convinced of the massive reach and
continued growth of the Internet.
By age: Internet Usage goes up as
age goes down, clearly pointing to increases in older users as
young people get older.
* 88% of 18-29 year-olds now go
online,
* 84% of 30-49 year-olds now go
online,
* 71% of 50-64 year-olds use the web,
and
* 32% of those age 65 and older say they
use the internet.
By Income: Those in the
lowest-income households are considerably less likely to be
online. Just 53% of adults living in households with less than
$30,000 in annual income go online, versus 80% of those whose
income is between $30,000-50,000. 86% of adults living in
households with annual income between $50,000 and $75,000 use the
internet, compared with 91% of adults living in households
earning more than $75,000.
By Education: Education also remains
an important indicator for Internet use. While 40% of adults who
have less than a high school education use the internet, 64% of
adults with a high school degree go online. Among those who have
some college education, 84% use the internet, and 91% of adults
with a college degree go online.
The above data refers to United States of
America users. However similar data has been identified for other
countries.
The Impact of High-speed Broadband
Connections
Simply put, home broadband (DSL, cable,
satellite, etc.) access increases the time that people spend on
the Web, for fun, games, information, and, of course, shopping.
The more time people spend seeking information about purchases
online, the less time and emphasis they will spend on old
traditional forms of print advertising and marketing. These
trends clearly indicate a continued increase in the role the
Internet will play in marketing your products.
Studies show that Broadband
Matters:
* The time each person spends online
doubles
* They visit 2.5 times more
sites
* They see more than 3 times the number of
web pages
Broadband Connections in North American
homes have now reached 72% (about 102.5 million) in May 2006, up from 57% (about
78.6 million) in May 2005. The increased popularity and new
affordability of broadband is increasing exponentially. As of
April 2006, the U.S. ranks 19th among other countries in this
category.
Regarding Broadband at work, as of May 2006, 90.0% of US
users at work enjoy a high-speed connection, according to
Nielsen/NetRatings.
Till next month. Kind regards to all,
Enrique de Argaez,
editor and webmaster