According to the report, more than half of European Internet users are online daily, with 75 percent using the Internet during the evening and roughly half accessing the web on the weekends, for a total of 178 million Europeans online each week
Citing consumer's desire for freedom and flexibility, the report revealed that nearly half of European broadband users have wireless access. Consumer behavior online was also documented, showing that 73 percent of European Internet users say that being online allows them to stay better connected to friends and relatives, while more than half have booked more holidays or made travel arrangements because of being online and nearly half claim to be better able to manage their finances.
The report also finds that a whopping 83 percent of Europeans are using the Internet for "lifestyle management" and that users say being online has provided them with a greater choice of products and services and access to important information resources.
Although previous reports highlighted peaks of growing popularity amongst the 16-24's and the older generation, a wider spectrum of Europeans are now using the Internet for sustained periods of time to deepen and diversify their online experiences. Encompassing all life-stages and the first to grow up in the technology era, it is today's 25-34 year old age group that seems to be collectively driving recent growth.
"One of the things that has come through strongly this year is that people are using the Internet more to manage their lives," EIAA executive director Alison Fennah said. "With the 25- to 34-year-olds, what you are seeing is a mixture of the fact that they are natural Internet users, they know their way around the web, with their movement towards more mature types of lifestyle management as they themselves mature."
The amount of time being spent online has also risen among this age group, up nearly an hour from 2007, with 36 percent listed as heavy users of the Internet, spending an average of 16 hours or more online each week; with 63 percent online daily. These users have active lifestyles, with almost half regularly communicating via social networking sites and more than a quarter creating personal profiles (up 24 percent since 2007).
The report also found that when researching or considering a product or service, 64 percent of European Internet users consider personal recommendations important, with websites of well-known brands (49 percent) and both online customer (46 percent) and expert (45 percent) reviews following closely, showing that Internet users are using both online as well as personal recommendations to make purchase decisions. Additionally, 41 percent admitted to changing their mind about the brand they were about to buy based on online research and the amount converting to purchase was boosted to 87 percent.
As a result of this growing confidence, consumers made a record number of purchases online in 2008 — a mean average of 9.2 purchases per person over a six month period versus 7.7 in 2007.
"Far from the information tool of five years ago, the Internet has evolved into more than just a media. Now it is effective tool that enables today's consumers to control and develop their lifestyle experiences, whether that be communication, entertainment, information gathering or resource management," Fennah said. "As a result there is a wealth of opportunity for brands and advertisers to effectively engage with these active consumers, the challenge is in creating campaigns that enable them to continue feeling in control."
