The Office for National Statistics (ONS) in it’s lastest survey of internet useage in the UK reported that online growth is still expanding rapidly.
The key points from their research are that:
- In 2012, 33 million adults accessed the Internet every day, more than double the 2006 figure of 16 million, when directly comparable records began.
- Approximately 87% of adults aged between 16 and 24, used social networking sites in 2012, compared to 48% of all adults.
- At the end of last year 2012- there were only 7.42 million adults (15%) who had never used the Internet. This is 3% lower than Q3 2012 and 9% lower than Q4 2012. Converesly, there were 43.07 million adults (85%) who had used the Internet at the end of 2012.
- Comparing the sexes- men (87%) were more likely to be Internet users than women (83%) though the gap is close- by less than ten per cent.
- Geographically, London had the highest rate of Internet users (89%) compared to Northern Ireland where there the lowest (79%) useage.
The growing use of mobile computers- including tablets and smartphones, to access the internet is the fastest growing segment of all:
- Telephone or video calls over the Internet were made by 32% of adults in 2012, double the 2009 estimate of 16%, and four times higher than the 2007 estimate of 8%.
- Access to the Internet using a mobile phone more than doubled between 2010 and 2012, from 24% to 51%.
- In 2012, 32% of adults accessed the Internet using a mobile phone every day.
The upshot of which is that if your website is not mobile compatable your business is missing out on potential traffic, sales and profits.
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Statistics fromrom: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access-quarterly-update/2012-q4/stb-ia-2012-q4.html and http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access—households-and-individuals/2012-part-2/stb-ia-2012part2.html