>75% of US Consumers Now Have High Speed Internet Enabling Higher Bandwidth Website Content

>One of the historic limitations of online marketing has been bandwidth or lack thereof.  Until recently nearly 1/2 of the Internet Users were locked into dial-up or slow Internet connections incapable of online video, many FLASH animations or other high bandwidth activities.

A recent study shows three out of  four connected US consumers already have high-speed Internet, and another 5% will definitely or probably purchase it, according to new data from the Nielsen Company. The recently completed “State of the Media 2010″ indicates HDTVs are the next most commonly owned emerging technology device, with 46% of connected consumers owning one and 10% saying they will definitely or probably purchase one.

Other emerging technology devices with a relatively high rate of ownership among connected consumers include digital video recorders (35%) and handheld multimedia devices (20%).

Websites are typically developed with the ‘lowest common denominator’ in mind to ensure that a potential visitor or buyer on a website with low speed Internet, an older computer or even a smaller monitor will still be able to access, view and navigate the website without difficulty.

With the continued drop in technology costs most connected consumers now have the ability to see and enjoy high bandwidth content such as videos, virtual tours, online video chat and animations.  This will permit website developers and online marketers to take advantage of advancing technologies and reach a wider audience than ever before.

Robert ‘Dot Com’ Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting – Building BETTER Websites & Social Marketing since 1995
816-842-7774 Office

Internet & Technology Used More by Higher Income Buyers (Your Target Audience)

Higher-income Americans have higher rates of internet and other technology usage than Americans of lower incomes, according to new data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Almost All Higher-income Americans Use The Internet

Currently 95% of Americans who live in households earning $75,000 or more a year use the internet at least occasionally, compared with 70% of those living in households earning less than $75,000. Even among those who use the internet, those with higher incomes are more likely than those with lower income to use technology. Out of the 95% of higher-income internet users:

• 99% use the internet at home, compared with 93% of the internet users in lower brackets
• 93% of higher-income home internet users have some type of broadband connection compared to 85% of the internet users who live in households earning less than $75,000 per year. That means 87% of all those higher income households having broadband high speed internet at home
• 95% of higher-income households own a cell phone compared to 83% of lower income households

The Income Gap Applies to a Wide Variety of Technology Usage

Higher-income Americans are also more likely than those in lesser-income households to own a variety of information and communications gear including:

• 79% of those living in households earning $75,000 or more own desktop computers, compared with 55% of those living in less well-off homes.
• 79% of those living in higher-income households own laptops, compared with 47% of those living in less well-off homes.
• 70% of those living in higher-income households own iPods or other MP3 players, compared with 42% of those living in less well-off homes.
• 54% of those living in higher-income households own game consoles, compared with 41% of those living in less well-off homes.
• 12% of those living in higher-income households own eBook readers such as Kindles, compared with 3% of those living in less well-off homes.
• 9% of those living in higher-income households own tablet computers such as iPads, compared with 3% of those living in less well-off homes.

Wealthier People Use E-Commerce and Make Purchases Online

Significantly more higher-income Americans are conducting e-commerce activities than members of other income groups. Solid majorities of higher-income internet users research products (88%), make travel reservations online (83%), purchase products or services online (81%), perform online banking (74%), use the internet to pay bills (71%), and use online classified sites such as Craigslist (60%).

The Wealthy Also Use Government eCommerce

Overall 82% of internet users (representing 61% of all American adults) looked for information or completed a transaction on a government website between December 2008 and December 2009, according to an earlier
study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. However, high-income internet users are much more likely than those with lower levels of income to interact with government via online channels.

For example, 91% of internet users earning $50,000 or more a year get information or complete transactions on government websites, compared to 76% of those earning less than $50,000 a year. The largest disparity by income exists in the practice of going online for data about government activities. Fifty percent of internet users earning $50,000 or more a year do so, compared to only 31% of internet users earning less than $50,000 a year.

People with the highest incomes are shopping online to make purchases, research future purchases and 95% of them in ALL age groups are using the Internet. To reach online buyers and sell more for your business contact Internet Builder Consulting for a BETTER website, Social Network Setup or Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Optimization today by calling the office to speak with an Internet & Technology Consultant:

816-842-7774 or Request a Website, SEO or Social Marketing Consultation Online.

Robert ‘Dot Com’ Jackson

Internet Builder Consulting – Building BETTER Websites and Online Marketing since 1995

Social Marketing Builders – Building BETTER Social Networking Solutions for Business

816-842-7774 Office

Young Adults Spend More Time on Internet than All other Media

American young adults spend more time online than consuming other forms of media, according to [pdf] a new study from Edison Research.

Web Time Doubles Radio Time
“Radio’s Future II: The 2010 American Youth Study” indicates that during an average day, Americans age 12-24 spend two hours and 52 minutes on the internet, making the web the media format American young adults spend the most time consuming. Television closely follows with a daily average of two hours and 47 minutes.

Listening to the radio came in a distant third with a one hour and 24 minute daily average. With a daily average of one hour and 10 minutes, video games closely trailed radio, followed by talking on the telephone (one hour and four minutes). Time spent reading magazines and newspapers is negligible.

Radio Time Once almost Tripled Web Time
Media consumption habits among American young adults have changed dramatically since 2000. The study indicates that during an average day in 2000, Americans age 12-24 spent two hours and 43 minutes listening to the radio, the highest amount of time spent consuming any media listed and almost double the time they spend with radio today. Television followed closely behind at two hours and 37 minutes, similar to its current result.

Talking on the telephone came in a distant third at one hour and 44 minutes, slightly more popular than today. The internet only accounted for 59 minutes of an average day, meaning American young adults spent close to three times as much time consuming radio as they did consuming the internet.
In somewhat of a surprise, video games only accounted for 42 minutes of an average day, while reading magazines and newspapers had expectantly low time totals.

Internet Has Highest Percentage Spending More Time
Unsurprisingly considering results of the previous questions, the internet ranked as the media format with the highest percentage of American young adults saying they are spending more time consuming it today than one year ago (48%). Telephone followed distantly with 28% consuming it more today, in turn followed unexpectedly by radio (27%). Going to the movies was the only media format that 20% or more of American young adults said they are consuming more today than one year ago (20%).

The trend for all media usage continues to show Internet (including websites, search engines and Social Networking) growing at a faster pace than any other media in history.  It took nearly 20 years for television to reach the same market penetration as the Internet did in less than 3 years.

Contact Internet Builder Consulting Online today or call us at 816-842-7774 to see how you can reach more buyers and sell more using the Internet with a professional website, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or Social Network Marketing.

Internet Builder Consulting – Building Better Websites, Search Engine Optimization and Social Network Marketing