INTERNET FACTS - PART I
Today we start the first in a series of articles on the technology that saw the dawn of a new era - the internet era.
You may have read some of these in the past but we've tried to bring together some of the most interesting and lesser known gems of knowledge about the world wide web as possible. So, let's get started:
1. The internet was born, officially, exactly 16 years ago yesterday (30 April 1993).
2. One in every five internet users visit YouTube on a daily basis.
3. Social networking sites (like Facebook and Twitter) are by far the fastest growing sites online today. They are outgrowing every other type of site by at least double the growth rate.
4. Over a third of Americans use Wikipedia as their primary research resource.
5. Over 70% of all companies in the United Kingdom have a website.
6. As of 2009, approximately 68% of all households in the United Kingdom have internet access. Over half of these have broadband access.
7. The biggest percentage change in UK internet access (households obtaining access) was in 2005 when it increased by 9% over 2004. For the last 2 years it has increased by 7% per annum.
8. Northern Ireland has the lowest level of internet access, with 51%. Wales has the highest with 67%. England has 66% and Scotland has 61%.
9. Since 2006 the UK has seen a large increase in the number of households that say not having internet access is a personal choice, rather than a financially bound decision.
10. Of those who do not have internet access, 34% said it was because they did not need it.
11. Almost 95% of adults in the UK, that are educated to degree level or equivalent, have home internet access.
12. 70% of the UK population aged over 65 have never used the internet.
13. Females are the most active internet users in the UK during daytime hours.
14. Of those UK citizens that use the internet, 70% use it daily.
15. The most popular activity online is sending or receiving e-mails. Nearly half of all UK internet users said they used online banking.
16. The use of WiFi Hotspots in the UK has doubled year-on-year for 2 years.
17. Access to the internet via a laptop grew by 30% in 2008.
18. Twice the number of males make use of RSS feeds than females do.
19. In 2008, over 55% of all UK adults had made a purchase online.
20. Travel or holiday related purchases accounted for over half of all online purchases in 2008 (in the UK).
Commentary
This first article in a series reveals the true addiction to internet use in the UK. Whilst the number of adults that say they do not want internet access has increased, the amount of time spent online, by those with access, continues to hurtle skyward.
However, not all is as you may think. Only a few years after the first launches of home delivery services by supermarkets - use declined in 2008 for the first time ever. Initially, 20% of all internet users bought food and groceries online for home delivery. In 2008 this dropped to 19%. Whilst the number of people shopping for such products online increased, the overall percentage dropped - much to the surprise of many. Touch? Smell? We believe those are the two primary factors behind the decline - along with those customers tired of receiving products that weren't what they expected and wouldn't have ordered if they had physically seen them in-store.
Confidence in web security is growing as the amount spent online, in single transactions, continues to increase.
Mobile use
WiFi Hotspot use continues to become more accessible and it's packaging with broadband schemes from a number of ISP's has undoubtedly been responsible for much of this increase. 3G technologies and data-inclusive packaged mobile contracts have delivered a huge increase in the amount of mobile phone web access. Applications deployed on platforms like the Apple iPhone have also been responsible for increased web use. Larger screens on mobile devices have meant that access is now seen as more viable for many.
ClarityWEB publish internet related articles every week, often daily. You can see the full index of articles HERE.
