Internet users continue to spend time on content sites
Internet users continue to spend a majority of their time with content sites, according to new research from the Online Publishers Association (OPA).
There has been an increase in time spent on content sites from a total of 34% in 2003 to 42% in 2009, the OPA said.
While consumers may be spending significant time with community sites, said the OPA, it is coming at the expense of their time with communication sites whose core capabilities are email and instant messaging.
Pam Horan, president of the OPA, said: “In the six years that the IAI has reported on how consumers are spending their time online, we have seen some significant shifts, most notably the emergence of community.
“While community has grown, data from the IAI proves that content is still king; these sites continue to be a place where consumers spend the majority of their online time and provide an environment for brand marketers to reach and engage with consumers.”
When comparing how people used the internet in 2003 with how they use the internet today, the OPA found a number of factors behind the changes, including monthly average time per person:
| Category | 2003 Avg Time* (hours: minutes) | 2009 Avg Time (hours: minutes) | Change in Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content | 03:42 | 06:58 | 88% |
| Communications | 05:20 | 04:54 | -8% |
| Commerce | 02:07 | 02:40 | 26% |
| Community | N/A | 03:01 | N/A |
| Search | 00:27 | 00:57 | 111% |
Looking at the share of online time each category attracts over six years, there have been significant changes in how consumers spend their online time:
| Category | 2003 Avg Share* | 2009 YTD Share | Change in Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content | 34% | 42% | 24% |
| Communications | 46% | 27% | -41% |
| Commerce | 16% | 13% | -19% |
| Community | N/A | 13% | N/A |
| Search | 3% | 5% | 67% |
Forrester Research recently revealed that American consumers under 40 years old spend almost two hours a week more with new media than they do with traditional media.
Forrester found that 44% of US households have a laptop, and the average American family owns two personal computers.
In August, Leichtman Research Group said that net US broadband additions in the second quarter were the fewest of any quarter in the eight years it has been tracking the industry.