Citation
Blake, M. (2004), "USA", The Electronic Library, Vol. 22 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/el.2004.26322aab.003
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2004, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
USA
USA
Increase in US Hispanic Internet usage
US Hispanics have become far more engaged and active Internet users since September 2002, according to a detailed review of US Hispanic Internet usage over the past year. The analysis, from comScore Media Metrix, examines key growth metrics, language preferences and top properties.
Launched in October 2002, comScore Media Metrix Hispanic measurement services are based on a continuous measurement of the Web-wide buying and surfing behavior of a representative panel of 50,000 US Hispanic Internet users, spanning all key markets and language preferences. In adherence to US Census Bureau convention, comScore classifies each panelist based upon his or her self-defined ethnicity.
A year-over-year analysis of usage intensity among the 12.5 million Hispanics online in the USA found that both the amount of time spent online and the number of Web pages viewed by the average US Hispanic user has increased dramatically. Specifically, Hispanic Internet users spent an average of 26.5 hours online in September 2003, up 24 per cent versus 21.4 hours in October 2002. Growth in content consumption was even more dramatic, with the average US Hispanic user visiting 2,791 pages in September, an increase of 30 per cent versus last year.
Data from comScore Media Metrix indicate that 52 per cent of the 12.5 million US Hispanics who use the Internet prefer to speak English, but 49 per cent either prefer Spanish or use Spanish and English equally. So while English content can and does reach large numbers of Hispanics, to fully reach US online Hispanics, marketers must also provide relevant Spanish language content.
With 9.7 million unique visitors, AOL Time Warner reached 76 per cent of all US Hispanic Internet users in September, while Yahoo! and MSN-Microsoft had 9.6 and 9.4 million unique visitors. Terra Lycos, which publishes a large amount of content in Spanish, had 5.4 million unique visitors. Terra Lycos also has a significantly higher reach among Hispanics than in the general market, with 43 per cent of the US Hispanic online population visiting Terra Lycos in September compared to 34 per cent of the total USA Internet population.
Compiled by Monica Blake