ThinkWithGoogle: Consumer Barometer: 45% of Chinese Internet users use smartphones more often to access the Internet

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People are more connected than ever before, and you might be tempted to think that people in the technologically advanced Asia Pacific region have multiple connected devices, but the fact is that in Europe, nearly half (48%) use more than 2 devices. Incredibly, 29% of Norwegians and 29% of Dutch use more than 4 devices, and 24% of Koreans use more than 3 devices. In contrast, only 10% of Chinese use more than 3 devices.

Numerous statistics show how smartphones are changing our world. If you think only young people love their smartphones, you are wrong. 61% of Israeli seniors (55 years and older) use smartphones, although the penetration rate is higher among those aged 25 to 34 (77%). In Sweden, the penetration rate of smartphones among seniors has also reached 64%.

In many countries, people spend more time surfing the Internet on smartphones than on PCs.

Consumers are increasingly using multiple devices to stay connected all the time, but are they the same for everyone? The Consumer Barometer provides some insights into when, how and why people use the Internet.

Networking is increasingly relevant to business

Whether they are constantly shopping in a physical store or searching for products, these moments are always connected to connected devices. In emerging countries, smartphones have become the most cost-effective search tool. For example, among online shoppers, 45% of Malaysians and 40% of Filipinos use smartphones to search for products. In the Middle East, the number is even higher, with 80% of Saudi Arabians and 57% of UAE people using smartphones to search for products before purchasing. In South Korea, people still prefer to use PCs for research, with 76% of online shoppers using PCs or laptops to search for products. But things are changing, with 71% of online shoppers under the age of 25 using smartphones to purchase. Mobile devices have become an indispensable tool for young Koreans to search for products.

People not only search for products online, but online shopping is even more popular. Globally, 62% of Internet users have searched or purchased products online. About 1/4 of Internet users both search and purchase products online. 29% of Internet users made their most recent purchase online.

In terms of countries, the survey covers 20 product categories, and the highest penetration of online shoppers is in South Korea (50% of Internet users), the United Kingdom (46% of Internet users) and Japan (44%). However, the penetration rate is also high in the Nordic countries, with 38% of Internet users in Sweden making their most recent purchase online.

The internet has put the world at our fingertips, and consumers are using it to explore local, national and international sellers when shopping. When people search for local businesses, they are usually looking for a specific product or service (35%) or to plan an event (30%).

On the other hand, those searching for clothing (36%) or finer goods (33%) look further afield, even internationally. Globally, 57% of online shoppers have shopped cross-border online. Some countries have even higher levels of cross-border online shopping, with 85% in Ireland, 84% in Australia, and 83% in Singapore. South Korea's cross-border online shopping rate (53%) is lower than the global average (57%), but young people are more willing to shop overseas. 61% of South Korean netizens aged 25 to 34 have shopped cross-border online.

The Consumer Barometer shows that the Internet is crucial in shaping consumer preferences and helping people make purchasing decisions. More than half of Internet users search for products or make online purchases. Understanding these key moments of consumers and using insights to integrate marketing strategies can help marketers reach more of the right people with the right message at the right time.

Online life changes our views and behaviors

People love online videos, with 51% of Mexican netizens and 50% of Brazilian netizens watching online videos every day. It is also popular in the Asia-Pacific region, with 51% of Singaporean netizens and 50% of Thai netizens watching online videos every day. In South Korea, young netizens are the biggest fans of online videos, with 47% of young netizens (under 25 years old) watching online videos every day.

People can watch online videos anywhere using smartphones, tablets and PCs. 47% of Saudi Arabians use smartphones to access the Internet to watch videos every day, and 35% of Argentine tablet Internet users watch videos on their tablets every day.

In terms of platforms, YouTube is the most popular, with 50% of Thai netizens using YouTube every day. In terms of different devices, nearly half of Saudi Arabian tablet users (49%) watch YouTube on their tablets every day, while smartphone users watch YouTube on their smartphones at 45%.

Although people watch videos to relax, this also increases the opportunity for marketers to reach consumers. When asked why they watched online videos last week, 33% of Filipino netizens and 30% of Vietnamese netizens said they watched videos to find product information. Online videos are becoming an increasingly important channel to reach consumers, especially in some emerging countries.

The Consumer Barometer dispels the misconception that people who watch online video are more easily distracted. 61% of online video viewers worldwide say they are fully focused when watching. This high level is not limited to one region, but is found in every region of the world. This shows that online video offers an opportunity to reach audiences. Among online video viewers, 73% of German viewers say they are fully focused on the last video, while 66% of American viewers and 68% of Vietnamese viewers say the same. In South Korea, the level of attention is lower, at only 49%.

199IT.com Originally compiled from: ThinkWithGoogle. Please do not reprint without authorization