How consumers use digital technology and its impact on their lives: evolution in facts & figures up to 2023

How consumers use
digital technology and
its impact on their lives
Evolution in facts & figures up to 2023
Image credits: [Vinicius Amano] via Unsplash

Introduction
In recent years, digital technology has experienced significant transformations.
While it was already progressing, the pandemic acted as an accelerator, enhancing
consumers' confidence and driving demand for communication tools and resources to
manage various aspects of their daily routines.
The 5g network began to spread between 2019 and 2020, with a huge leap in connection
speed that is supporting this demand and further advancement of digital technology and its
applications.
Let's take a look at the key changes of the last few years and how people's behaviors and
habits are evolving over time.

Access to the Internet
Over the last 20 years, the
percentage of Internet users has
consistently risen by 2 to 3
percentage points annually.
During the 2019-2021 period,
there was an increase of almost
12%, coinciding with the Covid-19
pandemic (see Fig.1).
Fig. 1. Percentage of global population accessing the
internet from 2005 to 2022, Worldwide. (Statista,
November 2022)

The continuous growth of Internet speed
Fig. 2. Average internet connection speed worldwide 2011-2017. (Statista,
January 2023)
Fig. 3. Speedtest Global Index: average global performance.
(Ookla, June 2023)

The evolution of 5G
The 5th generation of mobile
technology began to spread
from 2019-2020, leading to a
subsequent connection speed
increase of up to 10~20 GB/s[1].
This ongoing process also
supports the advancement of
IoT technologies, among other
benefits.
Fig. 4. The evolution of 5G, from 80s to 20s. (Earthlink, April 2021)

The Internet is faster, but have websites kept pace?
Conversely, the median load time for web pages visited from desktop computers hasn't
shown significant improvement. Load times for mobile web pages have more than doubled.
Fig. 5. Median page Onload time tracked by the Httparchive.org has
remained about the same over the past 10 years. (Nielsen Norman Group,
May 2020)
Fig. 6. The load times for mobile web pages have more than doubled over the
past 10 years. (Nielsen Norman Group, May 2020)

Digital devices used by audiences
Since 2016, mobile phones have been
the primary devices for accessing the
internet, followed by desktops and
laptops[2].
Note that users often own and use
multiple devices (leading to
overlapping percentages in the graph),
that's why a multichannel presence
became vital during the last decade.
Fig. 7. Internet access by device, Worldwide. (Exploding topics,
July 2023)

The unstoppable growth of mobile connections
← Fig. 9. Mobile’s share of web traffic from 2015 to 2023.
(Datareportal, January 2023)
↑ Fig. 8. Mobile’s share of web traffic.
(Datareportal, January 2023)

How customers search for information
Users primarily depend on
Google for their online
searches, with Google
Images emerging as the
second most prominent
platform in recent times.
Image and voice search are
experiencing the most
significant growth among
Millennials and Gen Z.[3]
Fig. 10. Search Engine market share, US (Rand Fishkin from SparkToro, April 2018)

In 2018, a Visenze study[4] indicated that 62% of
Gen Z and Millennial consumers prioritized
visual search capabilities over other new
technologies.
The global visual search market is projected to
grow more than fourfold within a decade[5].
At the same time, voice search increased too, as
72% of US consumers were already interacting
with AI based digital assistants in 2019[6]. Fig. 11. User preference for similar product results through
visual search. (InsiderIntelligence / eMarketer, June 2018)
US Internet users who would like to be shown similar
products after taking a photo via a retailer’s mobile
app
% of respondents
The relevance of visual and voice search

Visual search is considered particularly relevant for clothes and furniture, but visual is
considered more valuable than textual information for cars, groceries and vacations too.
Fig. 12. Consumers Prefer Visual to Text Information When Shopping Online. (Intent Lab, February 2019)

Voice search statistics on mobile devices
More than 1 out 4
of the global online population
use the voice search feature on
their mobile devices.
(Microsoft, 2019)
Role of voice search in purchase journey
51%
of all online shoppers in the
US use voice assistance to
research products.
(ComScore, 2019)
Voice search more popular than typing
71%
of consumers prefer to
conduct queries by voice
instead of typing.
(PwC, 2018)
Uses of voice
The top activity carried out
using voice assistants is
checking the weather
done by 17%of
consumers.
(UpCity, 2022)
Weather
Local “Near me”
searches
Search assistance
for hands-free
driving
Terms definition
and/or fact checks
Fig. 13. Voice search statistics you need to know in 2023. (Oberlo, January 2023)

What consumers buy online
Fig. 14. Ecommerce penetration by category, 2023. (InsiderIntelligence / eMarketer) →
The highest global ecommerce sales growth is
observed in media (78%), toys and hobby goods
(59%), office supplies (54%), and electronics (54%) It’s
expected that by 2027, the percentage of media
bought online will reach 83%[7].
The highest conversion rates can be observed in the
home & furniture sector (6%), followed by food &
beverages (5%), and consumer goods (4%)[8].

Fig. 15. Estimated Frequency of Online Shopping, by Category Articles. (MiQ, February 2020)
Travel and entertainment are also among the services most frequently purchased online.

Online video consumption
Online videos are experiencing a
growing demand, with video
consumption rising from 10.5
hours per week in 2018 to 17 hours
per week in 2023.
In the US, YouTube is the favored
platform for video consumption,
as indicated by eMarketer[9].
← Fig. 16. Average weekly time spent with online video
worldwide from 2018 to 2023. (Statista, March 2023)

Demand for video content
91%
of consumers want to see
more online video content
from brands.
(Wyzowl, 2023)
Video’s role in internet traffic
It’s estimated that in 2022
82%
of the global internet
traffic came from video
streaming and downloads.
(Cisco, 2019)
Power of video in purchasing decisions
8 out of 10
people have purchased a
piece of software or app
after watching a brand’s
video.
(Wyzowl, 2019)
Videos on social platforms
66%
of consumers find short-form
videos to be the most
engaging type of content on
social media.
(SproutSocial, 2022)
Fig. 17. Video marketing statistics that you need to know in 2023. (Oberlo, January 2023)

Consumer trends
Mobile shopping has impressively
increased in recent years. In the US,
mobile commerce is projected to
account for nearly 9% of total retail by
2026[10].
Currently, 49% of mobile users use their
smartphones to compare product or
service prices, while 88% of consumers
have at least one shopping app
installed on their phones[11].
Fig. 18. Leading smartphone activities. (Criteo) →

Role of return policy in purchase journey
67%
of people will read through an
online store’s return policy
before buying from them.
(Investp, 2022)[12]
Lack of clarity and cart abandonment
48%
of consumers who abandon
their cart say its’ due to too
high extra costs (shipping,
fees, taxes).
(Baymard, 2022)[13]
The rise of mobile shopping apps
31%
of consumers prefer shopping
in-app to shopping in-store or
via a mobile or desktop
website.
(Newstore, 2022)[14]
UCG as a reassuring factor
67%~70%
are less likely to return
products if they can view
reviews, images or videos
from other customers.
(PowerReviews, 2021)[15]

Consumer trends: social media buying
“ With the new Marketing
channels and trends
constantly popping up, it’s
difficult to know where your
target audience actually is.
Not only do you need to know
where they spend their time,
but also how they like to shop
-and that largely depends on
their age group.[16] ”
Maxwell Iskiev, Hubspot Research Analyst
and Blog Research Writer
Fig. 19. The State of Consumer Trends in 2023. (Hubspot, August 2023)

Consumer trends: interest in VR/AR
There’s an increasing interest
among consumers in VR/AR
technology, since they can
reassure about products
features and details, simulating
the user experience.
This interest varies based on
the category of items. Clothing
exhibits the strongest interest
in the availability of 3D images
and experiences.
Fig. 20. Interest in AR/VR for Shopping, by category. (Yougov, June 2021)

Consumer trends: social issues
The population's sensitivity to
certain social issues has grown
over time. However, consumers
do not assign equal urgency to
all issues, based on specific
economic, political, social, and
cultural conditions, as can be
seen in Figure 21 (a sample of
American citizens placing
“affordable healthcare” as a top
priority).

Consumer trends: privacy concerns
Concerns about the use of
personal data remain
significant, as indicated by a
recent HubSpot study.[17]
52% of respondents state that
they decline data tracking
when requested by a
company, and 29% say their
decision on this matter
depends on the company
making the request.

Summary
● Over the past two decades, the percentage of Internet users has consistently
increased, with a peak during the pandemic.
● Since 2016, mobile devices have been the primary access to the internet and this
growth seems to continue over years.
● Search engines continue to be the main research tool, accompanied by a surge in the
adoption of image and voice searches -and Google dominates the market.
● Media ranks as the leading category for online purchases, while travel bookings
emerge as one of the most frequently demanded services.

● Online videos are experiencing a continuous growing demand, and YouTube remains
the preferred platform for video consumption.
● Mobile commerce is also on the rise, accompanied by a significant increase in the
usage of shopping apps.
● Millennials and Gen Z are the leading advocates and trailblazers of social media
purchasing.
● There’s a spreading interest in AR/VR technology for exploring the features and details
of products.
● Consumer demand for brands aligned with social issues is on the rise, yet this
inclination is considerably influenced by economic, political, social, and cultural factors.
● Privacy concerns remain substantial, as a consistent percentage of consumers express
reluctance to allow companies to track their data and the need for further reassurance.

Reference List
Fig. 1. Statista (November 2022). Percentage of global population accessing the internet from 2005 to 2022, Worldwide.
[Online image] Available from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/209096/share-of-internet-users-worldwide-by-
market-maturity/
[Accessed 2 August 2023]
Fig. 2. Statista (January 2023). Average internet connection speed worldwide 2011-2017. [Online image] Available from:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/204954/average-internet-connection-speed-worldwide/
Fig. 3. Ookla (June 2023). Speedtest Global Index: average global performance Ookla. [Online image] Available from:
https://www.speedtest.net/global-index/
Fig. 4. Earthlink (April 2021). The evolution of 5G, “What is 5G?” by Michelle Ricker. [Online image] Available from:
https://www.earthlink.net/blog/what-is-5g-mobile/

Fig. 5. Nielsen Norman Group (May 2020). Median page Onload time tracked by the Httparchive.org has remained
about the same over the past 10 years. [Online image] Available from: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/the-need-for-
speed/
Fig. 6. Nielsen Norman Group (May 2020). The load times for mobile web pages have more than doubled over the past
10 years. [Online image] Available from: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/the-need-for-speed/
Fig. 7. Exploding topics (July 2023). Internet access by device, Worldwide. [Online image] Available from:
https://explodingtopics.com/blog/mobile-internet-traffic/
Fig. 8. Datareportal (January 2023). Mobile’s share of web traffic. [Online image] Available from:
https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-global-overview-report/
Fig. 9. Datareportal (January 2023). Mobile’s share of web traffic over the years. [Online image] Available from:
https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-global-overview-report/
Fig. 10. Rand Fishkin from SparkToro (April 2018). Search Engine market share, US. [Online image] Available from:
https://innovecs.com/blog/mobile-commerce-app-features/

Fig. 10. Rand Fishkin from SparkToro (April 2018). Search Engine market share, US. [Online image] Available from:
https://innovecs.com/blog/mobile-commerce-app-features/
Fig. 11. InsiderIntelligence / eMarketer (June 2018). User preference for similar product results through visual search.
[Online image] Available from: https://clarkboyd.medium.com/visual-search-trends-statistics-tips-and-uses-in-
everyday-life-d20084dc4b0a/
Fig. 12. Intent Lab (February 2019). Consumers Prefer Visual to Text Information When Shopping Online. [Online image]
Available from: https://www.marketingcharts.com/industries/retail-and-e-commerce-107475/
Fig. 13. Oberlo (January 2023). Voice search statistics you need to know in 2023. [Online image] Available from:
https://www.oberlo.com/blog/voice-search-statistics/
Fig. 14. InsiderIntelligence / eMarketer. Ecommerce penetration by category, 2023. [Online image] Available from:
https://www.tidio.com/blog/ecommerce-statistics/

Fig. 15. MiQ (February 2020). Estimated Frequency of Online Shopping, by Category Articles. [Online image] Available
from: https://www.marketingcharts.com/charts/estimated-frequency-of-online-shopping-by-category/
Fig. 16. Statista (March 2023). Average weekly time spent with online video worldwide from 2018 to 2023. [Online image]
Available from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/611707/online-video-time-spent/
Fig. 17. Oberlo (January 2023). Video marketing statistics that you need to know in 2023. [Online image] Available from:
https://www.oberlo.com/blog/video-marketing-statistics/
Fig. 18. Criteo. Leading smartphone activities. [Online image] Available from: https://www.tidio.com/blog/mobile-
commerce-statistics/
Fig. 19. Hubspot (July 2022). The Top Channels Consumers Use to Learn About Products [New Data]. [Online image]
Available from: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-consumers-learn-about-products
Fig. 20. Yougov (June 2021). Interest in AR/VR for Shopping Comparatively Low in the US. [Online image] Available from:
https://www.marketingcharts.com/industries/retail-and-e-commerce-117565/

Fig. 21, 22. Hubspot (August 2023). The State of Consumer Trends in 2023. [Online] Available from:
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/state-of-consumer-trends-report/
Textual references
[1] Cisco. What Are 5G Speeds?. [Online] Available from: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/what-is-5g/what-are-
5g-speeds.html/
[2] The Guardian (November 2016). Mobile web browsing overtakes desktop for the first time. [Online] Available from:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/02/mobile-web-browsing-desktop-smartphones-tablets/
[3] ReWork (August 2019). The Age of AI Assistants: 25 Voice Search Statistics. [Online] Available from: https://blog.re-
work.co/the-age-of-ai-assistants-25-voice-search-statistics/
[4] BusinessWire (November 2018). New Research from ViSenze Finds 62 Percent of Generation Z and Millennial
Consumers Want Visual Search Capabilities, More Than Any Other New Technology. [Online] Available from:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180829005092/en/New-Research-ViSenze-Finds-62-Percent-
Generation#.W4eYrWp5Mrc.linkedin/

[5] Racounter (October 2019). What is visual search? [Online] Available from:
https://www.raconteur.net/technology/what-is-visual-search/
[6] Microsoft (April 2019). 2019 Voice report: Consumer adoption of voice technology and digital assistants. [Online]
Available from: https://about.ads.microsoft.com/en-us/insights/2019-voice-
report?fbclid=IwAR2DiZpTmjVfEBddR8ZQM_JWj_S23CBc9Whxwfk1bKnGcG-8W1qDKt8IsIs/
[7], [8] Tidio (July 2023). 10+ Must-Know Ecommerce Statistics for 2023. [Online] Available from:
https://www.tidio.com/blog/ecommerce-statistics/
[9] InsiderIntelligence / eMarketer (2019). Most popular channel among US digital video viewers. [Online] Available from:
https://www.oberlo.com/blog/youtube-statistics/
[10], [11] Tidio (July 2023). Top 10+ Mobile Commerce Statistics for 2023. [Online] Available from:
https://www.tidio.com/blog/mobile-commerce-statistics/

[12] Investp (2022). E-commerce Product Return Rate - Statistics and Trends. [Online] Available from:
https://www.invespcro.com/blog/ecommerce-product-return-rate-statistics/
[13] Baymard (2022). 49 Cart Abandonment Rate Statistics 2023. [Online] Available from: https://baymard.com/lists/cart-
abandonment-rate/
[14] Newstore (May 2022). Survey: 1 in 3 U.S. Consumers Prefer Mobile Shopping Apps to All Other Channels. [Online]
Available from: https://www.newstore.com/articles/survey-1-in-3-consumers-prefer-mobile-shopping-apps/
[15] PowerReviews (2021). Consumer Survey: Returns in Retail in 2021. [Online] Available from:
https://www.powerreviews.com/insights/consumer-survey-retail-returns-2021/
[16], [17] Hubspot (August 2023). The State of Consumer Trends in 2023. [Online] Available from:
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/state-of-consumer-trends-report/

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