From: Nua Ltd. [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, December 04, 2000 6:37 PM
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Subject: Nua Internet Surveys: December 4, 2000
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NUA INTERNET SURVEYS - The Number One Resource for Statistics
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December 4, 2000 Published By: Nua Limited Volume 5 No. 47
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CONTENT
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EDITORIAL:
"By tapping into the goodwill
enjoyed by charities, businesses
can raise money for those charities
while also building their own brand
awareness and credibility."
Kathy Foley in 'All in a good cause'
ACCESS DEVICES
:Wireless Web set to boom in China
:Asia to take lead in digital TV stakes
:Wireless growth to drive palmtop sales
CUSTOMER SERVICE
:Internet leads consumer complaints
ECOMMERCE
:Happy holidays for Europe's etailers
:Ecommerce soars in South Korea
:Almost half of US web users shop online
:US B2C sales rise 15 percent in third quarter
GENERAL DEMOGRAPHICS
:Australia's youth are wired
:UK embracing technology?
:Home Internet access high in Hong Kong
HEALTH/MEDICAL
:Prognosis is good for online health
MARKETING/BRANDS
:Etailers focus on targeted marketing, better service
:Ad spend increases in France
TEENAGERS
:US parents more strict on web content
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EDITORIAL: 'All in a good cause'
By Kathy Foley
<http://www.nua.ie/surveys/analysis/weekly_editorial/archives/issue1no155.ht
ml>
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The owners of the now-defunct Pets.com still understand the
importance of brand-building, it seems. In a final grand gesture,
the former online retailer donated 21 tons of dog food to starving
Alaskan sled dogs, as they faced starvation because of the collapse
of salmon runs on the Yukon River.
What the Pets.com guys realized, admittedly a little late, was that
cause-marketing, or somehow linking your brand to a charity or
philanthropic organization, has become one of the best ways to build
customer appreciation and loyalty. A study carried out in 1999 by
Roper Starch showed that 76 percent of Americans would, all else being
equal, like to switch to brands or retailers associated with a reputable
charitable cause.
It's easy for cynics to sneer at such feel-good stuff but Joe Public likes
donating to charity and, by extension, Joe Public likes businesses that
donate
to charity or facilitate donations. According to IndependentSector.org, 70
percent of Americans contribute to one or more charities every year.
The average household donation is USD1,075 or 2.1 percent of the
household income.
By tapping into the goodwill enjoyed by charities, businesses can raise
money for those charities while also building their own brand awareness and
credibility. It might seem a little tawdry, but when all is said and done,
the charities end up with more money to spend on those who need it most.
For the full story, go to:
<http://www.nua.ie/surveys/analysis/weekly_editorial/archives/issue1no155.ht
ml>
For archives of editorials, go to:
<http://www.nua.ie/surveys/analysis/weekly_editorial/archives/index.html>
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ACCESS DEVICES
Archives: http://www.nua.ie/surveys/index.cgi?f=FS&cat_id=26
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Xinhua: Wireless Web set to boom in China
Sixty-nine million people will subscribe to wireless Internet
services in China by 2004, according to the Beijing-based China
Business Times.
The paper said that in four years' time, the number of mobile phone
users will reach 236 million, while 120 million people will have
Internet access. The current trend of convergence between mobile
communications and the Internet will see the number of mobile
Internet users soar over the next few years.
The China Business Times claimed that China is making rapid progress
in its efforts to upgrade the current mobile network from GSM to
third-generation (3G) standards.
China's largest mobile telecommunications operator, China Mobile,
currently offers several WAP services to its subscribers.
<http://www.xinhua.org/english/htm/20001128/241610.htm>
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Andersen Consulting: Asia to take lead in digital TV stakes
The Asia-Pacific region is poised to lead the digital TV revolution,
according to a new study by Andersen Consulting.
Due to a number of factors, the potential for widespread adoption of
digital TV in the area is high. The report pointed to high TV
penetration rates, strong growth in broadband penetration, and a
youthful population as some of the key advantages Asia holds over the
US and Europe in terms of digital TV adoption.
Through the deregulation of broadcast and telecommunications
industries, governments throughout the region are encouraging the
development of digital TV.
The infrastructure required for digital TV is already being built in
Asia's major markets. To cope with the demands for corporate
broadband connections and access to online multimedia, all major
Asian countries have acquired domestic satellites.
Currently, 470 million households connect to cable and satellite TV
networks in the region, while cable penetration in China's major
cities is almost 100 percent.
According to the study, the high TV subscription rates in Asia have
encouraged businesses in the region to invest in the development of
digital content and services.
<http://newsroom.ac.com/news/Dynamicpressrelease.cfm?ID=146>
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ZDNet: Wireless growth to drive palmtop sales
Increased demand for wireless connectivity is expected to boost sales
of palmtop and handheld PCs over the next few years.
According to a new report by Cahners In-Stat Group, sales of mobile
computing devices will rise from 4.8 million last year to 16.7
million in 2004.
Palmtops, which use an electronic pen to input information, are
expected to take a considerable lead over the larger, keyboard-based
handheld PCs. In-Stat predicts that palmtop sales will reach 15.9
million in 2004, while sales of handheld PCs will fall from 1.2
million in 1999 to 810,000 in 2004.
Palm, which produces both hardware and software, is still the leading
player in the palmtop market.
As CNET reported this week, however, the introduction of Microsoft's
latest palmtop operating system, along with new devices from Compaq,
Hewlett-Packard, and Casio may pose a serious challenge to Palm's
dominance. IDC predicts that by 2004, Microsoft will have a market
share of almost 40 percent, while Palm's share will drop to 51
percent.
<http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?/adeskb/adt1129/2658828:1307426>
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CUSTOMER SERVICE
Archives: http://www.nua.ie/surveys/index.cgi?f=FS&cat_id=47
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NACAA: Internet leads consumer complaints
According to a survey by the National Association of Consumer Agency
Administrators (NACAA), Internet-related problems generated the
largest increase in consumer complaints last year.
Among all NACAA member agencies, the average number of consumer
complaints increased by 38 percent from 1998 to 1999. Over the same
period, complaints about the Internet rose by 146 percent.
Merchandise ordered over the Web caused the biggest problems for
online consumers, accounting for 39 percent of all complaints. This
was followed by problems with ISPs (24 percent) and trouble with
online auctions (16 percent).
While the figure for online auctions may appear low, the report
pointed out that auction problems usually involve difficulties with
merchandising, and could be reported in either category. Earlier this
month, a survey by the National Consumers League revealed that online
auctions were the source of 79 percent of all Internet fraud between
January and September 2000.
<http://www.consumerfed.org/nacaasurv.pdf>
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ECOMMERCE
Archives: http://www.nua.ie/surveys/index.cgi?f=FS&cat_id=14
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Forrester Research: Happy holidays for Europe's etailers
Online retailers in Europe will take in EUR2.6 billion (USD2.2
billion) during the holiday season, according to Forrester Research.
Holiday shopping will account for a sizeable percentage of this
year's B2C revenues in several European countries.
German online retailers are set to sell EUR715 million (USD611
million) worth of goods this holiday season, representing 31 percent
of all online sales in 2000. The UK ranks second, generating sales
of EUR664 million (USD567 million), or 29 percent of total sales for
2000. In France, 36 percent of this year's B2C revenues, or EUR292
million (USD249 million), will be generated over the holiday season.
NetValue's latest figures confirm that shoppers in the UK are gearing
up for the holiday season spending spree. Almost eight million UK web
users visited an Internet store in October, making it the busiest
month so far this year for visits to ecommerce sites. The most
popular online retailer was Tesco.com, which received 600,000 unique
visitors in October, an increase of 176,000 from the previous month.
Price comparison sites are also experiencing heavy traffic in the run-
up to Christmas. Shopsmart.com ranked first in this category,
attracting 476,000 unique visitors last month.
<http://www.forrester.com/ER/Press/Release/0,1769,441,FF.html>
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Nando Times: Ecommerce soars in South Korea
Despite a slowdown this year in South Korea's economic growth, the
country's ecommerce industry is booming, helped by the massive
interest in online trading.
According to the Ministry of Information and Communication, South
Korea had 8,000 ecommerce sites at the end of July. The Ministry
expects online sales to reach USD15.2 billion this year, a rise of 80
percent from 1999.
Also this week, eMarketer pointed out that online trading is more
popular in South Korea than anywhere else in the world. Salomon Smith
Barney estimated that 57 percent of all South Korea's stock trades
are conducted online, while the Boston Consulting Group predicted
that online trading will account for 70 percent of the country's
ecommerce industry.
South Korea's leading online brokerage firm estimated that online
trading by the top five Internet brokerages was worth USD903 million
by the end of October 2000. The rapid increase in online trading has
resulted in high market volatility, giving the South Korean stock
market the highest turnover rate of all the major Asian markets.
One of the main factors fuelling Internet trading in South Korea is
the low cost of trades. The market deregulated its commission
structure recently, bringing trading commissions down from an average
of 0.5 percent to 0.1 percent.
<http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/0,1643,500284302-500447972-50291
6970-0,00.html>
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Scarborough Research: Almost half of US web users shop online
According to the latest figures from Scarborough Research, 47 percent
of America's online population shops online.
Of 64 US cities covered, Washington D.C. had the highest proportion
of Internet shoppers, with 60 percent of web users in the area
purchasing goods online. Following closely were two of the country's
main technology hubs, Seattle (59 percent) and San Francisco (58
percent). The lowest-ranking cities in the survey were San Antonio,
Orlando, and Lexington, tied at 37 percent.
The study also revealed that 41 percent of online shoppers spent
between USD100 and USD499 on Internet purchases in the past year.
Seventeen percent spent between USD500 and USD999 over the Internet,
and 16 percent purchased more than USD1000 worth of goods and
services online.
A majority of online shoppers in the survey were male (56 percent),
58 percent were married, and 39 percent were in the 18 to 34 age
group. Almost three-quarters (73 percent) had some college education
and two-thirds owned their own homes.
<http://www.scarborough.com/scarb2000/press/pr_cyber_announce.htm>
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US Department of Commerce: US B2C sales rise 15 percent in third
quarter
Online retail sales in the US amounted to USD6.373 billion in the
third quarter of 2000, according to the US Department of Commerce.
The figure represents a 15.3 percent rise in sales from the second
quarter of this year, despite the fact that total retail sales
decreased by 0.4 percent.
Ecommerce accounted for 0.78 percent of total retail sales in the
third quarter, increasing its share of the market from 0.68 percent
in the previous quarter. The Department of Commerce's figures for
online sales do not take travel services, ticket sales agencies, and
online traders and brokers into account.
According to a survey by the American Consumers Satisfaction Index
(ACSI), many consumers are happier shopping online than in
traditional retail outlets. On a scale of satisfaction ranging from 0
to 100, online retailing earned a score of 78, well ahead of
traditional department and discount stores, which rated 72.
Amazon.com scored 84, five points higher than the leading traditional
retailer Costco.
For the study, the ACSI selected 13 companies with the largest 1999
revenues in four categories: portals, retail, brokerages, and
auctions. Consumer satisfaction with the entire ecommerce sector was
rated at 73.2.
<http://www.census.gov/mrts/www/current.html>
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GENERAL DEMOGRAPHICS
Archives: http://www.nua.ie/surveys/index.cgi?f=FS&cat_id=18
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Australian Bureau of Statistics: Australia's youth are wired
According to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics
(ABS), 95 percent of children in Australia aged five to 14 have used
a computer and 47 percent have accessed the Internet in the past 12
months.
The report found that the older children were, the more likely they
were to have used a computer or accessed the Web. The main home
computer activities for children were school and education activities
and games. Learning was also a main activity of children using the
Internet, along with email and chatrooms.
Overall, 53 percent of Australian households have a home computer, up
from 48 percent last year, while the number of households with
Internet access has increased from 23 percent in 1999 to 34 percent
this year.
In the last 12 months, approximately one million Australians have
used the Internet, bringing the number of people who have gone online
in the past year to 6.6 million (48 percent of the adult
population).
Although Internet penetration is high in Australia, growth in the B2C
market appears to be sluggish. ABS estimates that 6 percent of
Australian adults purchased goods online for their own private use in
the 12 months leading up to August 2000, an increase of only 1
percent from last year.
Just last week, American online retailer Buy.com announced the
closure of its Australian operations, blaming the country's difficult
capital market environment.
<http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/ABS%40.nsf/dddcf05472f88677ca2568b5007b8615/
6d8f3c2071273d8dca25699e0000f590!OpenDocument>
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MORI Research: UK embracing technology?
Although the UK has adapted to technological developments such as the
Internet and mobile phones, the nation has yet to realize the full
potential of new technologies.
A report this week by MORI and Egg revealed that 15 million people
have home Internet access, while 14 million are dependent on mobile
phones. A third of web users purchase goods online, and 4.5 million
have conducted bank transactions through the Internet.
With over nine million subscribers, digital TV has also met with
considerable success in the UK. More than two-thirds of current users
believe that PCs, digital TVs, and mobile phones have become part of
their everyday lives.
A further 17 million people are expected to use a new technology
product for the first time over the next six months, while Internet
access is predicted to reach half the UK's population by mid-2001.
The findings of the report were not entirely positive, however.
Although 18 million people have a PC or laptop for personal use, most
(61 percent) use it mainly to perform word-processing tasks.
Currently, 29 million adults do not use a PC or laptop, and nine
million of these said they never intend to.
The report also found that only 2 percent of the population use WAP
services.
<http://www.mori.com/polls/2000/egg.htm>
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Newsbytes: Home Internet access high in Hong Kong
More than 36 percent of Hong Kong households have Internet access,
according to a survey by Hong Kong's Census and Statistics
Department.
While the level of Internet access is encouraging, only 30 percent of
people over the age of 10 had used the Net in the 12 months prior to
the survey, which was carried out between January and March of this
year.
The rate of Internet penetration was higher among students, young
people, and those with a good level of education.
Other findings of the survey showed that 30 percent of people in Hong
Kong knew how to use Chinese language computer input methods.
An overwhelming 85 percent of those polled had used some type of
electronic business service, such as ATMs, smart cards, telephone
banking, and web-based services. Hong Kong has one of the highest
levels of smart card use in the world, with over 6.8 million in
operation.
Mobile phone penetration in Hong Kong is also quite high. According
to government figures, 71 percent of the population have mobile
phones.
<http://www.newsbytes.com/news/00/158555.html>
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HEALTH/MEDICAL
Archives: http://www.nua.ie/surveys/index.cgi?f=FS&cat_id=36
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Pew Internet & American Life: Prognosis is good for online health
Many US Internet users believe online health information has directly
affected their decisions about how to treat illnesses and deal with
doctors.
According to a new study from the Pew Internet and American Life
Project, 47 percent of people who sought health information for
themselves online said the information influenced their decisions
about health and care.
Participants in the study said online information helped them to
decide how to treat illnesses, prepared them to ask questions of
their doctors or seek second opinions, and helped them determine
whether a visit to the doctor was required.
Overall, 52 million Americans have sought health information on the
Web, with most of these 'health seekers' going online at least once a
month to research medical issues.
Despite the popularity of online health information, the vast
majority of people are concerned about privacy on such sites. Almost
90 percent of consumers who use health sites are worried that
companies will collect and share data about the websites they visit,
and many are concerned that insurance companies and employers will
find out the type of medical information they access online.
This concern over online privacy may be one of the reasons why
interest in online surgeries and pharmacies is low. Few of those
surveyed have purchased medicine or vitamins online, and only 9
percent have exchanged emails with their doctors.
<http://www.pewinternet.org/releases/release.asp?id=10>
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MARKETING/BRANDS
Archives: http://www.nua.ie/surveys/index.cgi?f=FS&cat_id=45
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Boston Consulting Group: Etailers focus on targeted marketing, better
service
Online retailers are now spending less on offline ads and
concentrating more on improving the customer shopping experience,
according to a recent report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
The study, which was carried out in conjunction with Shop.org,
revealed that 89 percent of etailers plan to conduct online marketing
and promotional campaigns over the holiday season. However, only four
percent intend to increase spending on TV ads, with 62 percent opting
for email marketing campaigns.
Other plans to attract customers include selling gift certificates
(54 percent), signing new deals to secure prominent placement on
portals (39 percent), and signing new partnership deals with content
sites (36 percent). Some etailers hope that offering free goods and
services will lure consumers to their sites-29 percent plan to offer
a free gift with a purchase, 28 percent will offer free shipping
under certain conditions, and 12 percent will provide unconditional
free shipping.
In preparation for the holiday rush, 70 percent of the 94 online
retailers surveyed said they had redesigned their sites, either to
improve navigability or add holiday-specific features. Almost two-
thirds (65 percent) have increased their customer service capacity,
and 62 percent have increased their capacity for order fulfilment.
A separate study released this week by Andersen Consulting criticized
many of the marketing strategies currently employed by online
retailers. Andersen said that companies that spend their marketing
budgets trying to attract young consumers to their sites are
overlooking the most valuable sector of the market.
The study found that 10 percent of the online population generates 70
percent of B2C revenues. This 10 percent consist mainly of people
over the age of 35.
<http://www.bcg.com/media_center/media_press_release_subpage32.asp>
__________________________________________________________________
Forrester Research: Ad spend increases in France
French online advertising may be a year behind the UK, but the
Internet is fast becoming a mainstream ad medium in France.
In October, EUR7.7 million (USD6.6 million) was spent on Internet ads
in France, according to Forrester Research. The UK online ad market
was worth EUR16 million (USD13.8 million), followed by Germany with
EUR12.7 million (USD11 million).
Currently, portals dominate online advertising in France, with AOL,
Wanadoo/Voila, and Yahoo accounting for 30 percent of all ads.
The largest online advertising sector in October was media and
entertainment with 29 percent of the market, followed by consumer
goods (19 percent), and financial services (15 percent).
Forrester pointed to a number of factors indicating that the French
online advertising market has yet to reach the level of maturity
found in the UK market. Pureplay Internet companies and international
firms account for a high proportion of online ad revenues in France.
As the market matures, advertising by local firms is expected to
outstrip spending by dotcoms and multinational companies, as is the
case in the UK.
<http://www.forrester.com/ER/Press/Release/0,1769,442,FF.html>
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TEENAGERS
Archives: http://www.nua.ie/surveys/index.cgi?f=FS&cat_id=52
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Ipsos-Reid: US parents more strict on web content
US youths may spend longer online, but their parents are more likely
to monitor what they see and do on the Internet.
A global survey by Ipsos-Reid on the study of young people (12-24
years of age) with home Internet access, revealed that 40 percent of
US respondents were subjected to some form of Internet
restrictions.
Almost one in five (19 percent) American youths said the content they
viewed was restricted by filtering software, compared with 4 percent
in France, 3 percent in Sweden and Italy, and 2 percent in the
Netherlands.
Parents in Europe seem to be more concerned about the amount of time
their children spend on the Web than the content of sites. Only 19
percent of young Americans reported time restrictions, well below the
level in European countries such as Sweden (37 percent) and France
(28 percent). However, Ipsos-Reid suggested that this could be due to
the higher cost of Internet access in Europe.
For its report "The Face of the Web: Youth," Ipsos-Reid conducted
interviews with over 10,000 youths earlier this year.
<http://www.angusreid.com/media/content/displaypr.cfm?id_to_view=1117&refer=
main>
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