More than simply an entertainment channel or information source, the web is today an essential part of Europeans’ daily routine. The latest findings from the EIAA’s Mediascope survey show rapid increases in daily web use as the internet becomes integral to ever more aspects of modern life.
Across Europe, 178 million are now online every week, representing 60 per cent of all Europeans. Of these, over half (55 per cent) go online every day, with web use extending into the evening hours traditionally occupied by TV (when 75 per cent of web users are online) and the weekend (when 51 per cent of Europeans log on).
Heavier web use reflects the growing dependence of modern lifestyles on the internet. Financially comfortable yet time-poor 25-34-year-olds, the ‘Golden Youth’ frequently sought by marketers, are the key drivers of this shift: 78 per cent of these credit the web with improving their ability to stay in touch with friends and relatives, and over half say they are better able to book holidays (56 per cent), choose products and services (57 per cent) and manage finances (53 per cent) thanks to the internet.
The web’s increasing centrality to modern lifestyles is reflected in its influence on purchases. When asked for important sources of information when researching products and services, 66 per cent of European web users nominated search engines (eclipsing personal recommendations on 64 per cent), 50 per cent turned to price comparison sites and 49 per cent to the sites of well-known brands. 87 per cent of all online Europeans have purchased an item online that they researched online, with 41 per cent of users changing their mind about the brand they bought based on online research.
