The English language’s grip on the internet is receding rapidly as use of local languages becomes critical to the success of websites and online advertising solutions.
The shift is among the key findings revealed by a new report from ComScore, which explores the transition of the worldwide web from a US-led phenomenon to a genuinely global one. Whereas in 1996, two-thirds of the world’s online population could be found in the US, now only 21 per cent of internet users are based there.
ComScore’s study confirms the UK’s position as one of the web’s most significant markets. The 34.9 hours per month spent online by the average Brit are the highest in Europe, and the third highest in the world after Canada and Israel. Its 33.3 million internet users give the UK the world’s fifth highest internet population.
However, web use is also surging across Europe: Sweden, The Netherlands and Germany all feature among the ten countries with the heaviest web use, and Germany, France and Italy are included in the top ten internet populations.
In terms of numbers, the dominant regional online audience can now be found in Asia Pacific, which had 300 million internet users over the age of 15 at the start of this year.
ComScore predicts that the simultaneous globalisation and localisation of the web will place a premium on sites that can break out of regional limitations and appeal across cultural boundaries. Social networking sites, in particular, could have enormous potential for extra growth. The number of worldwide visitors to social networks has grown 34 per cent in the last year to 530 million users, approximately two thirds of those online.
With most new internet users going straight to broadband connections, initial take-up of online in emerging countries now translates quickly into heavy web use. High-speed internet has boosted the growth of multimedia and online entertainment, with online video the dominant entertainment format. However, travel and e-commerce sites are still underdeveloped in emerging internet markets.
