How People Use The Internet

"Woa, they have the Internet on computers now." - Homer Simpson

The rest of the world may be a tad bit ahead of Homer. In taking a look at how people use the Internet and what consumers deem as most influential in their information gathering, the Internet continues to climb the charts. An Edison Media research study conducted by Arbitron in January and February of 2007, revealed that over a third of consumers saw newspapers as "least essential."



Larry Rosin of Edison Media Research said, "It is not a stretch to say that the Internet has become just as important as television as an important source of information and entertainment in the lives of Americans."

In a release from the Center for Media Research, broadband Internet users are spending almost HALF of their free time on the Internet pursuing activities related to entertainment and communication. Just to give you an idea on the numbers, more than 90 million Americans have broadband connections. These people are using half their free time surfing the Internet.

But TV is still the strongest player right? The simple answer is yes with some qualifications. When you see an ad on television that references a website, do people write that down and check it later? Well, according to eMarketer research, 25-30% are "multitasking." This means that they are on the Internet while they are watching TV. An increasing number of consumers are viewing several media sources at once.



Why would anyone find these results shocking? After all, directing consumers to the web has been the goal for most advertisers for quite some time. Does this cause a problem for advertisers? Not any more than TIVO or a DVR's, which are estimated to climb to 50% of subscribers by 2010 (this is a whole other topic to be discussed at a later date).

A good friend of mine has a computer tied right to his TV and accesses it with a wireless keyboard. When the need arises, browsing is instantaneous and as a result, some of the commercials are missed.

So where does this leave advertisers? It leaves them with the understanding that a direct and aggressive approach to online advertising is critical. Keep your online message clear, clean, authoritative and integrate a clear call to action.