Internet article from tomorrow's InternetWeek Newsletter:
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Buying Blitz Sparks Web, Reports Says
A wealth of Internet research shows that consumer-to-business and business-to-business electronic commerce is taking root, but experts say companies betting their future on the Internet still have a load of work to do educating consumer and business customers. More than 58 million adults currently use the Internet in the United States and Canada, according to the latest Internet Demographics Survey conducted by CommerceNet and Nielsen Media Research, which was released yesterday. That's a 14 percent leap since March.
Moreover, purchasing products and services on the Web remains the fastest-growing segment of Internet usage. More than 9 million people have completed a purchase on the Web, according to CommerceNet/ Nielsen. That's a 60 percent increasesince March, when CommerceNet/ Nielsen released its last report. The survey findings do not separate business and consumer electronic commerce. "Almost 10 million people have transacted online, plunking down either their credit cards, purchase orders or electronic wallets," said CommerceNet vice president Stacey Bressler. "We're seeing a rising trend in the area."
The CommerceNet/Nielsen study, which surveyed 9,000 people, includes data through September. Meanwhile, research firm The Yankee Group took a stab at measuring the current climate. Earlier this week, it released a report that said 5.2 million U.S. households completed Internet purchases in September and October. Purchases totaled an estimated $800 million, The Yankee Group said.
Zona Research Group has also weighed in with commerce projections. It said roughly one-tenth of 1 percent of the gross domestic product will be transacted on the Web in 1997. Zona projects that the figure will grow to about one percent of GDP next year.
User patterns are also changing, as CommerceNet/Nielsen found that people are logging in more frequently. Indeed, more than half of the 58 million Internet population went online in the last 24 hours, as 30 million people told CommerceNet/Nielsen that they dial up on a daily basis. "We're seeing a normalization of the Internet population," said Bressler. "The overall distribution of sex, age ranges, education and income levels are starting to look more like the general population. Initially, the Internet was dominated by white males. The biggest driver is the acceptance of the Internet in non-technical circles." >>> |
