INDUSTRY NEWS

This is the second of a three-part series. Part I focused on general global Internet trends. Part III will focus on trends from Asia.

I have briefly showcased a few countries with a large market share in the paragraphs below, paying special attention to the break down of each country and the differences between the markets we can effectively target.INDUSTRY NEWS

This is the second of a three-part series. Part I focused on general global Internet trends. Part III will focus on trends from Asia.

I have briefly showcased a few countries with a large market share in the paragraphs below, paying special attention to the break down of each country and the differences between the markets we can effectively target.

I have focused solely on two major regions, Europe and Asia, which combined, account for over half of current Internet traffic. Both markets have featured heavily in the media as of late for their quiet but significant growth into the Internet marketplace. I will be so brave as to say that these markets are not growing any quicker than they have been in the past. Rather, America has only just noticed all those other countries outside their borders.

INTERNET TRENDS IN EUROPE

“With a population 41% bigger than the US, and relatively high levels of income per capita, Western Europe is a formidable global Internet market. Four of the 19 countries in Western Europe, Germany, Italy, France, and the UK, comprise 67% of the region’s adult (18+) population. Unlike the relatively homogenous US market, economic, technological, linguistic, and cultural differences among European nations have led to tremendous variations in the regional rates of Internet use and e-commerce.” (source: http://www.etranslate.com/en/know/know.S_C16.html)

While attempting to summarize and form a pattern for Internet trends and marketing to European countries, I have seen a very complex and diverse market with extreme growth and awesome potential in some regions and backward trends in others. For example, Poland has an estimated 3.5 million Internet users but only four percent use online retail stores. The country is showing a negative growth, with Internet access points being removed rather than added as with most countries. A lack of Internet education is one reason Poland currently has little hope for a future rich with Internet technology.

By contrast, Northern Europe is the single fastest growing e-commerce market in 2000-2001. A study of purchasing examined 47 countries with results returning six European countries in the top 10.

The U.S., Finland, Iceland, Canada, and the Netherlands were the top five countries overall, followed by Sweden, Australia, Denmark, Ireland, and New Zealand: (source: http://www.nua.ie/surveys/index.cgi?f=VS&art_id=905356745&rel=true)

The breakdown of the European market is extremely important for those wishing to obtain even a partial market share of this booming market. The eastern and northern regions of Europe are the emerging areas, that are readily accepting new technologies. Many of these countries are also heavily involved in the overall global market economy, and therefore have certain influences from these daily transactions on the overall population and culture. There is also a large percentage of English speaking people or at least those with their second language as English.

“Of the big four [European] nations, Germany and the UK are the most advanced Internet users, with Italy comparatively off-line. The Scandinavian countries have highly developed Internet economies, but have much smaller populations. Wide disparities exist between wealthier countries such as Switzerland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden, and less developed countries such as Italy and Spain.” (source: http://www.etranslate.com (http://www.etranslate.com/en/know/know.S_C16.html))

While specifically marketing to surfers looking for adult material, webmasters should be most concerned with cultural trends and the sexual likes and dislikes of those targeted surfers. The laws and acceptable practices in these countries vary greatly from our own. In Germany, bestiality is an acceptable practice, as are many other extreme forms of sexual activity. Amsterdam boasts curbside stores selling prostitutes.
However, with the differences outlined, there are enough similarities to grow a small audience from almost any geographic area. There is one thing that stays important the world over: sex. If you can separate and acknowledge the differences, everything that’s left must be the same or similar.

Although it seems like rocket science, many fail to grasp this marketing principle: If it’s not different, it’s the same. You now know that by marketing to cultural similarities, you are leaving your product open for a global audience, not simply a local one.

Although it’s doubtful an American-based organization could take a major market share of Swedish or Norwegian Internet business, it’s worth noting the increases in markets in these regions when planning future launches of products and services, and also noting the differences and similarities between these cultures and the one you know.

Read part 3 next week. Here’s a taste of what you’ll get in regards to the Asian market: In all countries, except for China, students accounted for the largest percentage of Internet users over business professionals…