ALL WEBSITE VISITORS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL

The first study of actual online behavior releasedHowever, they hold great potential to expand their
earlierthis week by McKinsey and Media Metrix showsuse andbecome members of a different segment.
that only halfof online consumers are active users,Bargainers are fiercely devoted to one aspect of the
logging on at leastonce a month. Furthermore, amongInternet: the quest for deals. Though they represent
those active users, sixdistinct segments haveonly 8%of active online users and spend less time
emerged: Simplifiers, Surfers,online than theaverage user, they represent 52% of
Connectors, Bargainers, Routiners and Sportsters.eBay visitors.
McKinsey's John Forsyth said that marketers who tryRoutiners and Sportsters go online primarily for
to reachall six at once, or approach them as if theycontent.
were all alike,Only half of Routiners have made purchases online,
"do so at their peril," hence the title of the report -and just
"All6% have made five or more online purchases. They
Website Visitors Are Not Created Equal."visit fewerdomains (typically news and financial sites),
*************but spendalmost twice as much time per page as
Here are some details the report provides --average users.
Simplifiers use the Internet to make their lives easier,Routiners want superior content and the sense they
andtend to log on with a specific purpose in mind andaregetting "something special." Sportsters (just 4%
they wantto do it quickly and easily. Althoughof activeonline users) act much like Routiners, but
Simplifiers spend justfocus on sportsand entertainment sites. They spend
7 hours per month on the Web, they have thejust 7.1 hours onlineeach month (versus a 9.8
longest tenureonline (49% have been online for overaverage), and are drawn to fresh,colorful and
5 years) and accountfor half of the total onlineinteractive sites. End of report.
transactions.Thank you jayde. I think your readers who are
Surfers constitute just 8% of the active usermarketers, will gain someaddedknowledge of who is
population,but they account for 32% of online time --visiting their websites.
far more than anyother segment in the study. TheyPersonally, I quit the website selling game some time
access over four times asmany pages as theago. To much of agood thing gonesour. I realized that
average user, and move quickly among thedomains,the giant of all giants of internet business isemail. The
continually seeking new experiences.newest emailservices now pay their clients to send
Connectors are relative novices, seeking reasons toand receive regular daily email.
use theMakes for a very
Internet. Although Connectors account for 36% of"sticky" site. Anyone interested in a web-based free
the activeuser population, 40% of them have beenemail service thatpays you cashjust for doing your
online less than twoyears, and just 42% have madeemail thing? See for yourself how much money you
purchases online (versus anaverage of 61%)."lose" everydayby using someone else's free service.
Connectors often use the Internet toUse our income calculator at:
"connect" with people through e-mail and chat rooms.Then decide for yourself.