Internet user time online at home showed "minimal to flat growth" in major or ordinarily overactive markets, and could be compelling companies in cyberspace to work harder to stimulate additional Web growth, according to new findings from Nielsen/NetRatings.
The United States, Brazil, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom all showed such growth in the past year, while easier growth opportunities were seen in emerging Net markets like Australia, France, Hong Kong, Italy, and Japan, Neilsen/NetRatings said March 18. These twelve countries account for a reported 70 percent of the world's Internet usage.
But the U.S. could be the launch or impetus for the next major cyberspace wave, Nielsen/NetRatings said. "As the Internet has officially become an important part of our lives, the U.S. is primed for the next 'big thing' to spike Internet usage," said senior Internet analyst Kaizad Gotla, announcing the company findings. "There are many opportunities ahead for companies online, but if they just continue to do what they're doing today, they're only going to move sideways.
"The easiest opportunities are in countries where Internet usage patterns and user/site relationships are less established," Gotla continued. "Acquiring users in markets that are currently in their growth stages will lead to a loyal user base that will pay dividends for Internet companies in the future."
The company's findings showed that over the past year Americans spent an average 14 hours a month online, approximating the worldwide average, while those in Hong Kong surf the longest of the twelve countries, an average of almost 22 hours a month, and those in Italy surf the shortest, an average eight hours a month. Those figures also showed a 25 percent Net surfing spike for Hong Kong over the previous year and a 15 percent spike for Italy, while the U.S. showed a 2 percent drop.
"Shifts in media consumption, steadily improving online offerings, and growing broadband penetration are likely factors in growing the number of online user sessions on a global basis," Gotla said.
