Sites such as Bebo.com and MySpace.com are growing internet usage across Europe, with most people now spending over 11 hours per week online.
The findings of a new European study make for interesting reading for small to micro sized businesses trying to maximise return on their marketing and advertising spend. The question that ought to be asked now is what we are giving up to spend so much time online; is it watching TV, reading newspapers and magazines, going to the pub, taking part in sports, or something else?
Wherever this average of 11 hours per week is coming from, the small to micro-sized business, indeed businesses of all sizes, should be following those eyeballs with their marketing budget.
According to the key findings of a new European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA) study:
• Social networking websites are used by nearly a quarter of Europeans, at least once a month
• Europeans now spend over 11 hours per week online
• Broadband penetration is up 14% across Europe year-on-year, and
• 72% of Europeans spend the majority of their time online for personal reasons, less so for work.
What has been revealed is that the way in which Europeans interact with the internet is constantly changing as the medium evolves and matures. The research shows that social networking and establishing personal connections via internet phone calls, instant messaging and online forums will continue to drive internet growth as the medium becomes a more ingrained part of the consumer’s lifestyle.
Increased broadband penetration across Europe, meanwhile, has positively influenced the numbers of hours Europeans spend online and contributed to the increased use of price comparison, news and local information websites, blogging, online radio and music downloads.
Forty five per cent of European internet users now go online every day of the week, which demonstrates the increasing importance of the internet in our everyday lives and its growing role as an engagement medium among European consumers. The average European internet user now spends 11 hours 20 minutes a week online compared to 10 hours and 15 minutes a week in 2005, an increase of 11%. With this increase, the average European is now online 5.4 days a week.
Social networking websites are visited at least once a month by 23% of online Europeans and online forums have seen a 30% increase in use year-on-year. Thirty two per cent of 16-24 year old internet users visit social networking sites at least once a month, making that demographic the leaders of the social networking trend.
The study also demonstrates that 31% of European online users download music at least once a month, and 15% conduct telephone calls via the internet – a growth rate of 50% from last year. Currently, the Spanish and German markets lead in the use of online forums with 36% and 31% interacting respectively with those sites at least once a month. Sweden is leading the European internet radio trend with 43% of online users tuning in at least once a month, followed closely by the Spanish and French markets. A quarter of internet users in France are also engaging with the blogosphere at least once a month, the highest percentage in all of Europe. These application and technology areas are in the early stages of adoption and are poised to be key areas for growth in the coming years.
With over 7,000 people across Europe interviewed, The EIAA Mediascope Europe Study is one of the most comprehensive pieces of research available into how people allocate their time across media in Europe and how consumers use the internet for content, communication and commerce.
The research highlights the impact of broadband technology on internet usage and consumer interaction. Due in part to the potential for more engaging interactions with the internet as a result of faster broadband speeds, Europeans spend 72% of their time online for personal reasons and 28% for work. Three quarters of European internet users now use broadband at their main point of internet connection, with France, the UK and Scandinavian nations leading on broadband penetration. Almost a third of all European home dial-up customers expect to upgrade to broadband in the next 12 months.
An average of 85% of online consumers in the UK, France, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark use broadband at their main point of internet connection, making those countries the leaders in broadband penetration. The EIAA study also reveals that consumers in countries with greater broadband penetration are more likely to use the internet for entertainment purposes.
