Internet User
Characteristics and
Behaviour

 Discuss general statistics about the Internet population.
 Describe the Internet exchange process and the technological, social/cultural and legal context in which consumers participate in this process.
 Outline the broad individual characteristics and consumer resources that consumers bring to the online exchange.
 Highlight the four main categories of outcomes that consumers seek from online exchanges.
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A typical one-hour adventure in the life of a 25year-old professional, Justin:
 Listens to a podcast on his mobile phone while his TV is tuned to a soccer game and his PC is within reach.
 Picks up his computer to find a blog mentioned during the podcast, sees a video on the blog and texts a friend about the video.
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 Justin searches for the video title on
Google and finds a job posting on
Vimeo, an online video-posting site.
 He posts a link to the video and Vimeo site to his Twitter stream.
Justin is the new consumer: a multitasker attending to different media simultaneously.
How can a marketer capture dollars from these behaviors?
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CONSUMERS IN THE
21 ST CENTURY
76% of U.S. consumers use the Internet.
Less connected groups tend to be:
 Older
 Less educated
 In ethnic minority groups
 Childless
 Rural
 Lower income
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CONSUMERS IN THE
21 ST CENTURY, CONT.
In 2013, 39% of the global population had access to the Internet, roughly 2.7billion ppl out of 7.1billion ppl.
Internet usage in developed nations has reached a critical mass, leading marketers to ask more questions about consumer behavior on the Internet.
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Exchange is a basic marketing concept.
 It refers to the act of obtaining a desired object by offering something in return.
Exchange occurs within the following contexts:
 Technological
 Social/cultural
 Legal
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THE ONLINE
EXCHANGE PROCESS
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TECHNOLOGICAL CONTEXT
70% of online Americans connect to the Internet at home with broadband.
Broadband users enjoy more multimedia games, music, and entertainment than do those accessing from a mobile device or 56K modem.
The typical U.S. home has 26 different electronic devices for media and communication.
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SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS
The cornerstones for attracting customers online:
 Reputation
 Relevance
 Engagement
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 Despite piracy laws, illegally used software abounds.
 In spite of the Can-Spam law, the number of unsolicited emails has increased.
 However, when the recording industry sued illegal music file downloaders, consumer behavior changed.
 In 2002, 37% of online consumers shared music files.
 Only 23% shared files in 2004.
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INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS
& RESOURCES
Individual characteristics affect Internet use.
 Demographics such as age, income, education, ethnicity, and gender.
 Attitudes toward technology.
 Online skill and experience.
 Goal orientation.
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Consumers perceive value as benefits minus costs.
These costs constitute a consumer’s resources for exchange:
 Monetary cost
 Time cost
 Energy and psychic costs
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U.S. COMBINED HOME/WORK INTERNET USAGE
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 There are 5 basic things that people do online:
 Connect
 Create
 Enjoy
 Learn
 Trade
 Each is ripe with marketing opportunity.
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CREATING & UPLOADING CONTENT IN THE
U.S.
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ENTERTAINMENT ONLINE
IN THE U.S.
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TOP 10 SEARCH TERMS
FOR 2013
From Google:
1. Nelson Mandela
2. Paul Walker
3. iPhone 5S
4. Cory Monteith
5. Harlem Shake
6. Boston Marathon
7. Royal Baby
8. Samsung Galaxy S4
9. PlayStation 4
10.North Korea
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Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore 7-27

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