The first study of actual online behavior released earlier
this week by McKinsey and Media Metrix shows that only half
of online consumers are active users, logging on at least
once a month. Furthermore, among those active users, six
distinct segments have emerged: Simplifiers, Surfers,
Connectors, Bargainers, Routiners and Sportsters.
McKinsey's John Forsyth said that marketers who try to reach
all six at once, or approach them as if they were all alike,
"do so at their peril," hence the title of the report - "All
Website Visitors Are Not Created Equal."
Here are some details the report provides
Simplifiers use the Internet to make their lives easier, and
tend to log on with a specific purpose in mind and they want
to do it quickly and easily. Although Simplifiers spend just
7 hours per month on the Web, they have the longest tenure
online (49% have been online for over 5 years) and account
for half of the total online transactions.
Surfers constitute just 8% of the active user population,
but they account for 32% of online time far more than any
other segment in the study. They access over four times as
many pages as the average user, and move quickly among the
domains, continually seeking new experiences.
Connectors are relative novices, seeking reasons to use the
Internet. Although Connectors account for 36% of the active
user population, 40% of them have been online less than two
years, and just 42% have made purchases online (versus an
average of 61%). Connectors often use the Internet to
"connect" with people through e-mail and chat rooms.
However, they hold great potential to expand their use and
become members of a different segment.
Bargainers are fiercely devoted to one aspect of the
Internet: the quest for deals. Though they represent only 8%
of active online users and spend less time online than the
average user, they represent 52% of eBay visitors.
Routiners and Sportsters go online primarily for content.
Only half of Routiners have made purchases online, and just
6% have made five or more online purchases. They visit fewer
domains (typically news and financial sites), but spend
almost twice as much time per page as average users.
Routiners want superior content and the sense they are
getting "something special." Sportsters (just 4% of active
online users) act much like Routiners, but focus on sports
and entertainment sites. They spend just 7.1 hours online
each month (versus a 9.8 average), and are drawn to fresh,
colorful and interactive sites. End of report.
Thank you jayde. I think your readers who are marketers, will gain some
added
knowledge of who is visiting their websites.
Personally, I quit the website selling game some time ago. To much of a
good thing gone
sour. I realized that the giant of all giants of internet business is
email. The newest email
services now pay their clients to send and receive regular daily email.
Makes for a very
"sticky" site. Anyone interested in a web-based free email service that
pays you cash
just for doing your email thing? See for yourself how much money you
"lose" everyday
by using someone else's free service. Use our income calculator at:
http://www.themail.com/ref.htm?202092
Then decide for yourself.
About the Author
Steve Hartung, EAbroker at themail.
emailsteve@themail.com