By the end of June, 2012 it was estimated that there were 52.7 million individuals using the internet in the UK, representing just over 84% of the total population. Roughly 33 million individuals were accessing the Internet on a daily basis, or more than double the number (16 million) who were using it in 2006. Additionally, 87% of all Internet usage in the UK was attributed to individuals between the ages of 16 and 24. Another 32% were using the Internet to make phone calls and engage in video chats.
Current Internet user trends indicate that usage growth will continue in these areas with the most significant growth being in mobile access or accessing the Internet with a smartphone. This is another digital technology that continues to grow in popularity throughout the UK with approximately 62% of all Internet usage being found in this area. Middle and upper class individuals are accessing the Internet on a regular basis and using it for a wide variety of reasons with communication being the primary one.
Compared to other socioeconomic groups, 92% of middle and upper class individuals were accessing the Internet at least once every week of the year with online transactions being the leading activity among this demographic group. It would appear then that this consumer group has no qualms with bringing their consumerism to the world of online businesses. However, from an e-commerce standpoint, there is more to be said about their online buying habits. One of the most prevalent habits is a heavy reliance on numerous consumer reviews.
A study that was conducted by Ipsos Global @dvisor and Ipsos OTX revealed that 81% of those individuals who access the Internet claimed that these online consumer reviews were a primary influence when it came to their purchasing decisions. Additionally, webmasters who specialise in UK website design and UK website development are aware of these statistics. So they target those online business owners who are not focusing enough on their content marketing and search engine optimisation to attract more consumer traffic.
Video content that targets different consumer groups is another area that is rapidly growing in popularity among those consumers who access the Internet on a regular basis. YouTube is the primary driving force in this area of Internet marketing and now ranks third in website popularity behind Facebook and Google UK. UK Internet users are now spending nearly 185 million hours accessing and watching YouTube videos. Needless to say, this Internet user trend is becoming a dominant force among UK consumers.