INTERNET
Web users spend most time viewing content
14-08-2007
by Stephen Errity
Internet users are spending nearly half their online time viewing content, which represents a 37 percent increase in the time spent doing this four years ago.
That's according to new data released Tuesday by the Online Publishers Association (OPA). The Association presented a four-year analysis of its 'Internet Activity Index' (IAI), a monthly gauge of the time spent by online users on e-commerce, communications, content and searching.
According to the OPA's data, which was supplied by Nielsen//NetRatings, 47 percent of consumers' online time is now spent looking at content, compared with 34 percent four years ago. Searching also registered a significant increase in time share; however the total time spent searching for information remains low, accounting for just 5 percent of web users' online time so far in 2007.
Communications accounted for 46 percent of time spent online in 2003. A dramatic shift has taken place in the four years since then, with consumers now spending only 33 percent of their online time communicating.
The OPA advanced several explanations for the results of its analysis. It suggested that faster access speeds and better internet accessibility in general are driving people to spend more time online, while improved search engines mean people are spending less time looking for information and more time viewing it.
The rise of internet video was also singled out as being a major factor in the increased time spent viewing content and the researchers also believe that instant messaging, a real time form of communication, is replacing e-mails as the preferred means of online communication.
Commenting on the results, OPA President Pam Horan said: "The dominant role of content is driven by the online transition of traditionally offline activities, such as getting news or checking the weather. Major news drives traffic spikes, but traffic remains consistently higher even after the event. Major news events and high profile sports events are clearly driving consumers to engage more deeply with online content."
Horan also pointed out that consumers are now spending considerable time with social networking sites, which serve not only as places of content but are also increasingly important communications vehicles.
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