SEO Master Class - Steve Wiideman, Wiideman Consulting Group
Assignment 2 task 1
1. How the use of
digital technology
and devices is
shaping our lives
2. Since the turn of the century our online
habits have changed dramatically.
Increased internet speeds and
advancements in technology have
encouraged almost every element of our
lives to have some online interaction. Here
we will look at the statistics that have
begun to change our lives and how
technology will further shape and determine
the way we shop, interact, even watch TV!
Figure 1, Digital devices (Dudharejia, M. 2018)
3. According to Statista (2020) the
number of UK households with
broadband internet access in 2003 was
11%
In 2018, 73% of people use the internet
everyday
An estimated 2% of people have never
used the internet
UK internet speeds:
2008= 3.6
2018- 54.2 (Statista 2019)
Figure 2. Access to the internet (Demotic Technologies, n.d.)
Figure 3. Internet speed
Figure 4. 5G
6. UK digital advertising set to be worth £15.6 billion by
December 2020 (Johnson, J. 2020)
Millenials are 30 per cent more likely to buy directly
from a retailer’s website than Baby Boomers. (KPMG)
Online purchasers spend a considerable amount of time
researching the product online before they buy (KPMG)
Web Retailer claim more than 50% of ecommerce sales
were made through online marketplaces in 2019
E-tailers have a dominant presence according to KPMG,
transactions via an e-tailer in China and Japan account
for 80% of online purchases.
7. Men are more likely to spend more per transaction online,
Shipping charges
19% of all retail purchases in the UK done online (ONS,
2020), predicted to increase to 21% Over the next year
(Deloitte, 2020)
Over 51% of online shoppers finalise their purchase from
their smartphone (Statista, 2019)
During the Covid-19 pandemic, CNBC reported online
purchases in the U.S were up 30% (early March-mid April)
Entertainment products such as books have seen the
largest increase
ONS showed an increase for non-store retailing in the UK
of 5.1%, with food sales seeing the biggest increase
Figure 1: The most purchased products online (Saleh, K. n.d.)
8. July 2018: Ofcom (2018) reported TV streaming service subscription overtook pay
TV for the first time
2007 Netflix debuted their video streaming service- by 2018 they had 117 million
paying subscribers
Total UK video games revenue in 2018 was £4.2bn, predicted to rise to £5.3bn by
2023 (PWC)
The UK has the largest over-the-top (OTT) video revenue in Europe, at 25% in 2018
expected to grow to 43.6% by 2023 (PWC)
9. Mobile devices key to offline and online purchases
Over two-thirds of in-store shoppers saying they researched
their purchase on their mobile device while in a physical shop.
(KPMG)
Customers expect unique experiences, both in store and online.
Including curated marketplaces, connected spaces & digital
journeys, customers want an emotional connection to their
shopping experience. (Deloitte)
This is supported by the Global Web Index who claim that more
online stores are looking to acquire physical stores to
compliment their online shopping experience
The use of apps is also increasing, with the use of travel apps
increasing by 90% since 2015 (Global Web Index)
Figure 1, Trends image, Go To Agile (n.d.)
10. SUMMARY
The 21st century has certainly been a whirlwind
of technology!
Technology has changed and is changing our
hobbies, consumer habits, the way we learn and
do business
Effects of Covid-19?? Winners and losers
Demands for technology
How will face to face services and in store
retailers diversify?
11. A decade of digital dependency (2018, 2 August) [online] (https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/features-and-
news/decade-of-digital-dependency ) Place of publication: Ofcom (Accessed 17th February 2020)
Bhunjun, A. (2018, 3 February) Who Owns Netflix and When was it Founded? [online]
(https://metro.co.uk/2018/02/03/who-owns-netflix-and-when-was-it-founded-7284551/) Place of publication: Metro
(Accessed 26th April 2020)
Clement, J. (2020, 28 February) Facebook's advertising revenue worldwide from 2009 to 2019 [online]
(https://www.statista.com/statistics/271258/facebooks-advertising-revenue-worldwide/) Place of publication: Statista
(Accessed 16th May 2020)
Connecting the Dots: Consumer trends that will shape 2020 (2019) [online]
(https://www.globalwebindex.com/hubfs/Downloads/Connecting_the_dots.pdf?utm_campaign=Trends%202020&utm_s
ource=hs_automation&utm_medium=email&utm_content=79285410&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-
8m7MODGa_HGdaf7m18u7J1wJrfODdGEGdzlldPYRwlnsKcJ5a5otLfD6mMFddORYXtSU7CD4tRLw3zXNkTyrzT7
BfGxg&_hsmi=79285410 ) Place of Publication: Global Web Index (Accessed 17th February 2020)
de Best, R. (2020, 2 April) Influence of social media advertising in Flanders (Belgium) 2019, by age [online]
(https://www.statista.com/statistics/1100751/influence-of-social-media-advertising-in-flanders-by-age/) Place of
publication: Statista (Accessed 16th May 2020)
Demotic Technologies Broadband Internet Service Provider (no date)[online] (http://demoticbroadband.com/ )
(Accessed 16th February 2020)
Johnson, J. (2020, 5 March) Digital advertising spending in the United Kingdom (UK) 2007-2020 [online]
(https://www.statista.com/statistics/283009/digital-advertising-spending-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/ )Place of
publication: Statista (Accessed 16th May 2020)
Merton, K. (2020, 18 February) [online] (https://www.webretailer.com/b/online-marketplaces/ ) Place of publication:
Webretailer (Accessed 1st March 2020)
12. Murphy, R. (2020, 24 April) Retail sales, Great Britain: March 2020 [online]
(https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/retailindustry/bulletins/retailsales/march2020 ) Place of publication: Office
for National Statistics (Accessed 26th April 2020)
O’Dea, S. (2020, 25 May) Which is the most important device you use to connect to the internet, at home or elsewhere? [online]
https://www.statista.com/statistics/387447/consumer-electronic-devices-by-internet-access-in-the-uk/ Place of publication:
Statista (Accessed 13th October 2020)
Rattner, N. (2020, 19 April) ‘As coronavirus restrictions drag on, Americans shift online spending from stockpiling to
entertainment’ [Online](https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/19/coronavirus-what-americans-are-buying-online-while-in-
quarantine.html) Place of publication: CNBC (Accessed 26th April 2020)
Retail Sales, Great Britain: January 2020, (2020, 20 February) [Online]
(https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/retailindustry/bulletins/retailsales/january2020) Place of publication: Office
for National Statistics (Accessed 1st March 2020)
Retail Trends 2020 [Online] (no date) (https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/retail-trends.html# )
Place of publication: Deloitte (Accessed 17th February 2020)
Sabanoglu, T (2019, 27 August) Share of devices used by UK consumers when purchasing goods online in 2019 [online]
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1041386/devices-used-when-making-purchases-online-uk/ Place of publication: Statista
(Accessed 13th October 2020)
Saleh, K. (no date) Online Consumer Shopping Habits and Behaviour [Online] (https://www.invespcro.com/blog/online-
consumer-shopping-habits-behavior/ ) Invesp (Accessed 26th April 2020)
Schmid, D. (2020, 23 January) Share of households with broadband internet access in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2003 to
2019 [Online] (https://www.statista.com/statistics/461291/broadband-penetration-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/ ) Place of
publication: Statista (Accessed 16th February 2020)
TV streaming services overtake pay TV for first time (2018, 17 July)[Online] (https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-
ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2018/streaming-overtakes-pay-tv ) Place of Publication: Ofcom
UK edition: Entertainment & Media Outlook 2019-2023 (no date)[Online] (https://www.pwc.co.uk/industries/entertainment-
media/insights/entertainment-media-outlook.html) Place of publication: PWC (Accessed 27th April 2020)
Vader, R. et al (2017) The Truth About Online Consumers, 2017 Global Online Consumer Report [Online]
(https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/xx/pdf/2017/01/the-truth-about-online-consumers.pdf ) Place of publication: KPMG
(Accessed 1st March 2020)
13. 5G https://www.insidesources.com/tag/5g/
Cartoon laptop (no date), Vector Portal, Available at https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/46161964916308714/ (Accessed
1st March 2020)
Digital Devices Dudharejia, M. (2018, 23 March) Available at: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/mistakes-new-
ecommerce-sites-make/250451/#close (Accessed 26th April 2020)
Internet speed https://www.csoonline.com/article/3151087/http-2-promises-better-performance-but-with-security-
caveats.html
Netflix logo (no date), Amazon, Available at https://www.amazon.com/Netflix-Inc/dp/B005ZXWMUS (Accessed 26th
April 2020)
Saleh, K. (no date) ‘The most purchased products online’ & ‘Percentage of UK adults who own a smart device over a
10 year period’ Available at: Online Consumer Shopping Habits and Behaviour
(https://www.invespcro.com/blog/online-consumer-shopping-habits-behavior/ ) Invesp (Accessed 26th April 2020)
Trends image (no date), Go to Agile, Available at http://www.gotoagile.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/trends.jpg
(Accessed 26th April 2020)
Notes de l'éditeur
Link to Slideshare: https://www.slideshare.net/SamanthaDymock/our-tech-shaped-lives
Does anyone have any idea what it is now?! 96%!! The statistic considers households with at least one member aged between 16 and 74 years. Both stationary and mobile broadband connections are counted.
Again, using data from Statista, in 2018, 73% of people living in the European Union access the internet everyday, with only 2% of the population having never accessed the internet.
As well as advancements in technology and the cost sensibility for businesses to be online, this is also likely to be down to the improvements in internet speeds. Indeed in 2008 the average UK residential broadband connection speed was 3.6 megabytes a second which steadily increased over the next 10 years to over 54 megabytes per second (Statista 2019) https://www.statista.com/statistics/274341/residential-broadband-connection-speed-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/
High internet speed has now become such an essential part of everyday life, following suit of other countries such as Canada L.S. Whittaker, 2016 (http://csglobe.com/historic-decision-canada-declares-internet-access-fundamental-right/) in 2017 the UK Government announced the regulatory Universal Service Obligation that will see it be a legal right that everyone in the UK has access to internet speeds of at least 10mbps by 2020 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/high-speed-broadband-to-become-a-legal-right (December 2017)
According to Ofcom, one in five adults now spend over 40 hours per week online
Statistics from Statista, May 2020
2008 was the year the smartphone became commonplace in the UK retail market. Back then only 17% of adults owned a smartphone which rose to 78% by 2018 Ofcom, 2018 https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/features-and-news/decade-of-digital-dependency
The Global Web Index claim that 96% of internet users now own a smartphone.
Indeed people in the UK now rely on their smartphones so much, they check it on average every 12 minutes!
Apple launched the iPad in the UK in 2010 and the revolutionary iWatch made its appearance in 2015.
In 2016 Amazon Echo came onto the market, using solely voice recognition to access the information via the internet.
In 2018, Ofcom claim 52% of UK households have their TV connected to the Internet, and 50% of all radio listening is done through a digital device.
However, despite us having access to more digital devices than ever, according to KPMG, more than 57% of people purchasing online, prefer to do so via their desktop PCs or laptops. Only 17 % of people surveyed said they preferred to use a mobile device for their online shopping.
How consumers search for products and information varies from targeted searches to pop up add links.
Digital advertising now takes many forms and in the UK is set to be worth £15.6 billion by the end of 2020. Even social media platforms have taken advantage of this with Facebook generating close to $69.66 billion in ad revenues in 2019 (Clement, J. 2020).
Perhaps surprisingly, Millenials are 30 per cent more likely to buy directly from a retailer’s website than Baby Boomers, who prefer to shop around for the best deal. Which is perhaps why in Belgium, de Best (2020) reports that Millenials are more likely to be influenced by social media advertising, where as Gen Z (16-24 year-olds) were more likely to research a product that had been recommended by an influencer.
Online marketplaces such as Amazon, Etsy and Ebay continue in popularity, benefitting smaller retailers who take advantage of multi-channel ecommerce
K. Saleh n.d. Invesp (Blog) https://www.invespcro.com/blog/online-consumer-shopping-habits-behavior/
Men are more likely to spend more per transaction online more frequently purchasing items such as luxury goods and electronics, whereas women’s purchases are more likely to be in lower priced categories such as cosmetics and food. (KPMG)
Perhaps in contrast to image to the left from Invesp, KPMG suggest bulkier items such as household appliances and furniture see a strong online purchase presence, whereas books, electronics and accessories have a lower presence due to the shipping charges often incurred for relatively small items.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 19% of all retail purchases in the UK in the 3 months to January 2020 were done online
Internet sales increased by 4.9% in January 2020, when compared with January 2019. Other stores and non-store retailing both reported strong growth at 11.5% and 9.9% respectively, while department stores reported the largest fall at negative 14.4%.
Online video consumption has perhaps seen one of the most rapid increases in recent years. It was only 13 years ago (2007) Netflix debuted it’s video streaming service, to TV streaming services overtaking UK pay TV services by 2018. Just 11 years later (in 2018) Netflix had over 117 million paying subscribers worldwide (Metro, 2018).
Interestingly, 77 percent, Millenials where the most likely age group to look up information on the product whilst in a store.
KPMG believe the Millenials will continue to be the driving force behind the future of e-commerce. As they delay moving out of their parent’s house and marriage, they spend their money on other things. Other predictions such as the growth of online healthcare and cashless societies (Global Web Index) support the idea that in more ways than online purchasing, digital devices will continue to
From the statistics discussed, it is clear to see the way we use technology is changing consumer habits, hobbies and the way we do business.
With predictions from PWC expecting to see this diversify even further and in store retail experiences needing to adapt quickly, it will be interesting to revisit these statistics in the coming years.
However, perhaps the current Covid-19 pandemic will have the largest impact that no one would have predicted just a few months ago. With many countries in lockdown, millions of people have been forced to use online technology and subsequent devices in ways far ahead of the previous predictions. Indeed we can already see an increase in online shopping trends, medical appointments, fitness classes, teaching platforms and general human interactions with many companies diversifying their services to Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and varying social media platforms. No doubt subscriptions to TV and video streaming services have increased among others. In my opinion, this is an exciting time to see how markets will adapt and improve and to see how further advancements in technology try to keep up with the demand of technology now being a necessity rather than a convenience. Unfortunately there will also be some victims of the pandemic, no doubt having a further dramatic effect on in-store retailers, small businesses and face to face services who will need to diversify quickly to survive the post-pandemic climate.
