GLOBALWEBINDEX / ONLINE TRENDS
16 August 2011
GlobalWebIndex's global survey of over 100,000 individuals reveals Facebook fatigue, real-time and the fragmented web as rising trends
The global web may be a thing of the past, as discrepancies become increasingly pronounced between how the web is accessed and used by people in different countries around the world, according to GlobalWebIndex's latest survey results.
Countries such as the UK and Korea are increasingly placing emphasis on e-commerce and purchasing, while users in emerging countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines focus more exclusively on social networking. The graph above shows how usage is split across different countries, varying depending on social and commerce engagement.
Facebook fatigue
Simultaneously, established markets such as the US, UK and Canada have seen a decline in active participation on Facebook, with less status updates, content shared and messages being sent. The trend is particularly pronounced amongst US college educated twenty-somethings who were the original users of the site. For example, 15% less users in the US sent a message via Facebook while 10% less joined a group compared to July 2009.
Real-time rise & content consumption
Despite the decline in sharing and communicating via social networks, the use of social networking sites is rapidly growing overall, up 40% compared to July 2009, thanks to the use of mobile phones and apps, as well as growth in developing countries. Simultaneously, microblogging is up 62%, with people opting to pass on recommendations and Likes rather than creating content.
The consumption of content online continues to increase, with viewers in BRIC countries the most willing to pay to view content online, as the graph above shows, and consumers in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain the least willing - with over half of respondents saying they would be unwilling to pay for content. However, their willingness to pay increases when considering services such as cloud storage and email.
Brand conversations
And, in good news for branded presences online, GlobalWebIndex has identified that brands have become increasingly effective at engaging consumers and fostering communities, helped by the fact that 13% of internet users want to have an ongoing conversation with brands. Purchase discounts, customer services and exclusive news have all helped drive this interaction.
http://globalwebindex.net
Illustrations:
Percentage of users who are actively purchasing products online versus level of social engagement. This is calculated from an aggregate score of active participation in social networking, blogs, forums, microblogs and video uploads. (All data sourced from Wave 5 June 2011)
Facebook Users: Which of the following activities have you conducted on your social network service in the past month? (% of Internet users in each region, Wave 1 to 5 % point change July 2009 to June 2011)
Which of the following would you consider paying for to access online? (% of Internet users in each region, Wave 5 June 2011)
Countries such as the UK and Korea are increasingly placing emphasis on e-commerce and purchasing, while users in emerging countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines focus more exclusively on social networking. The graph above shows how usage is split across different countries, varying depending on social and commerce engagement.
Facebook fatigue
Simultaneously, established markets such as the US, UK and Canada have seen a decline in active participation on Facebook, with less status updates, content shared and messages being sent. The trend is particularly pronounced amongst US college educated twenty-somethings who were the original users of the site. For example, 15% less users in the US sent a message via Facebook while 10% less joined a group compared to July 2009.
Real-time rise & content consumption
Despite the decline in sharing and communicating via social networks, the use of social networking sites is rapidly growing overall, up 40% compared to July 2009, thanks to the use of mobile phones and apps, as well as growth in developing countries. Simultaneously, microblogging is up 62%, with people opting to pass on recommendations and Likes rather than creating content.
The consumption of content online continues to increase, with viewers in BRIC countries the most willing to pay to view content online, as the graph above shows, and consumers in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain the least willing - with over half of respondents saying they would be unwilling to pay for content. However, their willingness to pay increases when considering services such as cloud storage and email.
Brand conversations
And, in good news for branded presences online, GlobalWebIndex has identified that brands have become increasingly effective at engaging consumers and fostering communities, helped by the fact that 13% of internet users want to have an ongoing conversation with brands. Purchase discounts, customer services and exclusive news have all helped drive this interaction.
http://globalwebindex.net
Illustrations:
Percentage of users who are actively purchasing products online versus level of social engagement. This is calculated from an aggregate score of active participation in social networking, blogs, forums, microblogs and video uploads. (All data sourced from Wave 5 June 2011)
Facebook Users: Which of the following activities have you conducted on your social network service in the past month? (% of Internet users in each region, Wave 1 to 5 % point change July 2009 to June 2011)
Which of the following would you consider paying for to access online? (% of Internet users in each region, Wave 5 June 2011)
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