The truth about Europeans online
SEO marketers have been granted a fascinating insight into how Europeans use the internet by several recent studies.
The first report comes from Arbor Networks, which used Internet Observatory data to compare traffic trends on the continent with their North American counterparts.
One interesting finding is that internet traffic peaks much earlier in Europe – the most popular time for web surfers is 7pm GMT whereas across the Atlantic it is 10pm EDT.
Indeed, while continental browsing peaks around 7pm before tailing off, American browsing declines significantly in the early evening but goes on to enjoy prolonged usage until after midnight.
Food for thought at European e-tailers
Of course, the key question for many
SEO marketing experts is how Europeans shop online.
Research from ATG provides some answers by surveying more than 6,500 consumers on their spending habits.
In a revelation that may surprise many SEO marketers, it was discovered that 53 per cent of all respondents would not spend more than the equivalent of £44 online in one session.
And it appears poor customer service is the issue that causes the most consternation among online shoppers with 64 per cent of users singling out the problem.
"It's clear the e-tail market in Europe is still finding its feet," said Frank Lord, vice president for ATG in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
"True internationalisation is managed best from one platform that delivers a seamless customer experience both online and offline across many countries, languages and websites."
Meanwhile, a recent comScore study sheds light on the spending habits of a core e-tail demographic.
It found that an impressive 77 per cent of all UK mothers with at-home children visited an e-tail portal in June 2009.
