(Applies to: AOL AOL)
NEARLY HALF OF INTERNET USERS SAY INTERNET ONLINE BECOMING A NECESSITY,
According to America Online/Roper Starch Cyberstudy
DULLES, Va., Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly half of Internet online
users say the medium is now becoming just about a necessity, and almost
three-quarters use it to make better buying decisions, according to a
study released today by America Online, Inc. and Roper Starch
Worldwide, one of the nation's largest marketing research and
consulting firms.
(Photo: newscom.com ) The
first-ever "America Online/Roper Starch Cyberstudy 1998," a sample of 1,
001 adult Americans who subscribe to online and Internet services from
home, reveals that more than three-quarters (77%) of the online
population believe that being online has made their lives better and 8
in 10 say that it makes many activities easier and more convenient.
In fact, the interactive medium has so penetrated users' everyday lives
that nearly half of those with laptops take them along on vacation to
go online and two-thirds would prefer an Internet connection if
stranded alone on an island for an extended period of time over a
television or a telephone. Moreover, 7 in 10 adults think going online
is important for children, and almost half believe that "being online
has a more positive influence on my children than watching television."
Bob Pittman, America Online, Inc. President and Chief Operating
Officer, said: "This first-of-its-kind study confirms that our vision
for the interactive medium is becoming a reality: Internet online is
becoming a necessity -- in fact, other Roper research suggests it has
surpassed VCRs, stereos and cable TV as a necessity for those who have
access to them. The study also shows that the medium dramatically
improves people's lives. Whether it's keeping in touch with friends and
family, getting information to make better buying decisions or trading
stocks, people are clearly seeing everyday tasks are easier and more
convenient when they're done online -- and the longer people have been
online, the more benefits they notice."
Marshall Cohen, America Online Senior Vice President of Brand
Development and responsible for the company's consumer research, added:
"This study demonstrates that this new medium has firmly established
itself among all age groups, from senior citizens to young adults, and
is rapidly penetrating the everyday lives of people in all walks of
life. It's clear that Internet online is rapidly achieving its
potential to bring convenience to people's lives, and that users see it
as one of the most important developments of this century."
Edward Keller, President of Roper Starch Worldwide, said: "The study
shows that online users are very aware of the new ground they are
breaking simply by being online. Very large numbers see online as
having a major impact on society, particularly in the areas of
education, the workplace, media and entertainment -- and even democracy
itself."
Study Underscores Value and Potential of Medium in Daily Lives of
Users
America Online, Inc. commissioned Roper Starch Worldwide to
produce a random survey of 1001 people (18 years +) who subscribe to an
Internet/online service at home. Interviews were conducted via
telephone in August 1998 and the results have a +/-3% margin of error.
Over 60 closed- and open-ended questions were asked of participants on
various topics, ranging from how and why they use Internet online, how
being online has impacted their lives and society and what prompts
their activity online, to their thoughts about its future impact.
Key findings in the study underscore its increasing penetration and its
growing value and potential in the daily lives of users:
-- 71% of the online consumer population has been online for under three
years and 29% has only been online for a year or less.
-- Yet almost half (44%) already say the interactive medium is just about
a necessity to them and 77% believe it has made their lives better.
-- When asked about 16 everyday activities, more than eight in ten
respondents said engaging in those activities online was either "much
or somewhat easier" than "the way they used to do it." Leading this
list of activities deemed "much easier" to do online were tracking
stock portfolios and trading stocks.
-- 71% of the online consumer population say they regularly or
occasionally go online to get information about products to buy, both
on- and off-line.
-- 87% say they regularly or occasionally go online to communicate with
friends and family and 94% say that the online medium makes
communication with friends and family much or somewhat easier than
methods they used before.
-- 80% of those using Internet and online services today have suggested to
friends and family that they get online.
-- 69% of those online feel that it "is important for children today to
know how to go online and use the Internet." And almost half (47%) of
them believe that being online has a more positive influence on their
children than watching television (35%).
-- 79% of users said the computer would be considered the most important
invention of the 20th Century.
-- Of those in the population who own a laptop computer, almost half (47%)
take it on vacation.
-- 26% of all online users check their e-mail on vacation.
-- When asked to imagine being stranded alone on a deserted island for an
extended period of time with access to only one of three technologies,
67% of those surveyed would prefer to have a computer connected to the
Internet, while only 23% said they would want a working telephone and
9% opted for a television.
Mr. Pittman added: "This study reflects a historic benchmark in
research tracking online trends and behavior -- research that provides
a window on what is driving the medium's incredible growth. We intend
to continue conducting these studies over the coming years to provide a
reliable resource that tracks the development of this increasingly
critical force in society."
More and More Finding Online Makes Life Better;
Medium Fast Becoming a Necessity
This study clearly shows that as more and more Americans go
online, they believe the medium makes their life better and many are
incorporating it into their daily routine.
-- Already 87% of the entire online consumer population says they would
miss online access if it were no longer available to them.
-- As the population spends more time online, they are more likely to miss
it and to see the medium as a necessity. 64% of those who have been
going online from home for three years or more say they would miss
online access "a lot" and that "using an online or Internet service is
just about a necessity to me."
-- When compared with other Roper research, the above results suggest that
the Internet online medium has already surpassed VCRs, stereo systems
and cable TV as a necessity for those in the population who have access
to them.
The online medium is becoming an essential part of the lives of
people of all ages.
-- 56% of those over 50 said they would miss having online access if it
were no longer available compared to 47% of those aged 18 to 24.
-- The online population over age 50 is more likely to use the medium to
manage and plan their finances, while those between the ages of 18 and
24 are more likely to use it to socialize.
The Interactive Medium: Making Communication
Easier and Bringing People Together
The online population is relying more and more on the interactive
medium to communicate with friends, family and business associates.
-- 87% of respondents say they go online to communicate with friends and
family. In addition, when asked how the medium makes their life
better, 35% of the responses given related to communications
activities.
-- Nearly seven in ten (69%) of those surveyed agree that "using e-mail
has made it easier for me to stay in touch with family and friends."
-- The survey also revealed that the online medium also appears to bring
people together in the home. Specifically, eight in ten parents with
children under 18 say they sometimes go online with their children and
66% say that they sometimes go online with their spouses.
-- Almost three in ten people online say they regularly or occasionally
"meet new people with common interests online." Of those who meet new
people online, 91% say it is easier than offline.
-- Over half (51%) prefer using e-mail to communicate with business
associates to using the phone (35%) or regular mail (5%).
Interactive Medium Population is Now Nearly Three Times Larger
than in 1995 and Reflects the Upscale Mass Market
The study shows that over the last two years, the online
population has grown dramatically and it has transformed to reflect
more and more the upscale mass market.
-- Women have sparked the growth of Internet online in the last
12 months -- accounting for 57% of the new home online subscribers
during that period. This recent trend has boosted the women's share of
the interactive medium to 47%.
-- The study also reveals that the vast majority of the online consumer
population would not characterize themselves as experts. Almost
three-quarters (73%) of the population would characterize themselves as
"novices" or at an "intermediate level" of expertise.
The current interactive population in America reflects an upscale
mass- market base.
-- 65% of the interactive population is over age 35. These consumers are
more likely to have graduated from college, to be married, to have
children under the age of 18, and to represent a higher median
household income bracket than the American public at large.
-- Online consumers are twice as likely than the average American to be an
Influential American(R) (21% vs. 10%), as defined by Roper Starch.
This means that they are more likely to have attended a public meeting
on town or school affairs (41% vs. 14%), contacted a politician (27%
vs. 13%), attended a political event (15% vs. 5%) or written a letter
to a newspaper (12% vs. 5%) than average Americans.
Online Most Likely to Impact Education and the Workplace In the
Future;
Already Impacting Media
The study measured online users' feelings on how the interactive
medium will affect life and society in the future. Those users say the
interactive medium is poised to most greatly impact education (73%),
the workplace (64%), and media and entertainment (47%). Interestingly,
more women (71%) than men (58%) believe it will impact the workplace.
The online consumer population appears particularly interested in how
the medium is changing society today. 75% say they are either "very"
or "somewhat" interested in hearing news about Internet online and how
it is changing society.
The medium may already be impacting how people use different types of
media in their lives. Forty-three percent of those online say they
viewed more television before they went online. By comparison,
overwhelming numbers report the same degree of newspaper (83%) and
magazine (83%) reading before and after going online. As an indication
of the online medium's growing importance in delivering timely news,
50% of those surveyed indicated that they expect to get more of their
news online two years from now.
Medium Now a Part of Online Population's Buying Behavior
Bob Pittman, President and COO of America Online, Inc., said:
"This new research indicates that the Internet is revolutionizing the
way consumers shop both online and offline, by building brands,
providing consumer information and prompting purchases. Not since the
advent of the covered shopping mall in the 1960s has a phenomenon
caused such a dramatic shift in people's shopping behavior."
According to the study, the majority of America's Internet online
population goes online for product information before making a making a
major purchase.
-- Among those who shop online regularly or occasionally, almost half
(47%) conduct online research as a first step before making a "major
purchase" (on or off-line). Even 31% of those who hardly ever or have
not yet made a purchase online say they first go online to gather
information on the product they intend to buy.
-- Although e-commerce has only been widely available for a few years, of
the American consumers online today, 45% say they have ever made
purchases online and 31% make purchases "regularly or occasionally."
The majority of those who have shopped online agree that the
online medium has made shopping easier.
-- Already 85% of those who shop online regularly or occasionally believe
shopping online is much or somewhat "easier than the way they used to
do it."
The study provides compelling evidence of the coming growth in
e-commerce activities by showing a direct correlation between the
length of time a consumer has been online and their execution of
commerce activities.
-- Fully 59% of those who have been online for three years or more have
made a direct online purchase.
-- Of those who have been online less than one year, 22% say they make
purchases online regularly or occasionally; of those who have been
online for under three years, 29% say they make regular or occasional
purchases; and of those who have been online for three or more years,
43% say they make online purchases regularly or occasionally.
This trend holds true for other online commerce activities,
including booking travel, banking, and stock trades.
Additionally, those Americans who have been online the longest express
the greatest optimism about the future of online shopping. Those who
have been online for at least three years strongly believe that online
buying will become safer (62% vs. 12% who disagree). Most importantly,
fully half of all those who have been online at least three years
expect to increase their online purchasing.
About America Online, Inc.
America Online, Inc., based in Dulles, Virginia, is the world's
leader in branded interactive services and content. America Online,
Inc. operates two worldwide Internet online services: America Online,
with more than 14 million members; and CompuServe, with approximately 2
million members. America Online, Inc. also operates AOL Studios, a
leading builder of Internet brands for new market segments. Other
branded Internet services operated by America Online, Inc. include
AOL.COM, the world's most accessed Web site from home; Digital City,
Inc., the No. 1 branded local content network and community guide on
AOL and the Internet; AOL NetFind, AOL's comprehensive guide to the
Internet; AOL Instant Messenger, an instant messaging tool available on
both AOL and the Internet; and ICQ, an instant communication and chat
technology on the Internet.
|
