Internet Global Landscape
?? Hatim Khan ??? ???? ???
LinkedIn Top Voice??23K+ Connections??AI & Digital Marketing Strategist??Lead Generation Expert??Brand Growth??Collaboration & Sponsored Content??Helping Businesses Scale with AI, Storytelling & Data-Driven Insight
Daily online usage plays a significant role in the everyday lives of consumers worldwide. The internet has changed the way humans interact and reshaped traditional communications media such as film, television, music, and telephone. The emergence of new digital technologies and websites has accelerated forms of human interaction through online forums, instant messaging, and social networking.
The rise of social media has changed the notion of online communications and the divide of the personal and public online space. The mainstreaming of internet features, such as digital music and video, user-generated content, and digital media sales, have caused traditional media consumption to undergo significant changes.
The internet has also irrevocably impacted retail: the growth of e-commerce has not only forced brick-and-mortar sellers to adapt to new digital sales channels but has also enabled small and independent business owners to pursue their business ventures across local borders.
COMMUNICATIONS
Recently people tend to turn towards online rather than traditional communication due to its many advantages like easy access and flexibility. Communication has undoubtedly been a major reason to go online. Internet usage has been helping billions of people stay connected despite geographical or social circumstances. Parents with children studying abroad, siblings living in different parts of the world, and even people in long-distance relationships keep in touch thanks to technology.
Online communication comes in different types: from social media to messenger platforms such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, to video call platforms like Skype. WhatsApp is by far, the most used messenger every month in the world, and more than four million messages are being sent through the platform. Despite the newer and more modern communication platforms, e-mails have remained a leading activity conducted online, followed by looking up information, and internet banking.
MARKET SIZE
Messenger users
Facebook Messenger is the most used messenger platform among Americans, with 88 percent stating to be using it regularly. Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Skype followed in the ranking. WhatsApp is consistently attracting more and more active users every month, with nearly 64 million users in the United States, and more than 140 million in Brazil and Indonesia. On the other hand, instant messengers like Viber seem to plateau.
MARKET SEGMENTS
Communication types
Different online communication platforms provide different services. Messengers like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp attract users with quick communication that is very similar to a face-to-face one, whereas video-based platforms like Skype are preferred for a more visual experience. E-mails do not necessarily follow those criteria of easy or instant communication, but are nevertheless widely used. Over 300 billion e-mails were estimated to be sent each day in 2020.
INDUSTRY LEADERS
Traditional e-mails vs video calls
E-mails first came into use in the 1960s. The messages have evolved since then and generated increasing user numbers, amounting to over four billion in 2020. Unlike e-mails, Skype provides more interactive communication and specializes in video calls. It was launched in 2003 and the number of users skyrocketed over the years. The voice call features of messengers are not to be underestimated either. Other popular video communication platforms include Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Teams.
INDUSTRY TRENDS
Zoom & Microsoft Teams
With the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in 2020, leading to people being working and studying from home, platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams thrived. Daily Zoom usage peaked in March 2020. Millions of video calls are going through each minute spent on media all over the world. Individuals participating in Zoom meetings equal around 200 thousand, and over 50 thousand users are connected to Microsoft Teams.
CYBER-CRIME & SECURITY
As internet usage continues to increase, so does the amount of personal information and data which is made available online. This could be out of choice, for example somebody providing personal details to a social network in order to use their service. Or it could be unwillingly, as a victim of a cybercrime attack or data breach. Not only has cybercrime become incredibly sophisticated in recent years, but in 2020 we were online more than ever, working from home, relying on technology and digital services, and all of this amid the uncertainty and disruption of a global pandemic. The risks to individuals, companies, organizations, and governments have never been greater.
MARKET SIZE
The average cost of a data breach
Cybercrime can take many forms. Identity fraud, data theft, ransomware attacks, copyright infringement, and phishing campaigns are just some examples. The consequences can be distressing for victims, and potentially very costly for organizations. The average cost of a data breach is around 3.86 million U.S. dollars, but financial repercussions vary a lot depending on the region, organization size, and industry. The average cost of a data breach in the healthcare sector is 7.13 million dollars.
MARKET SEGMENTS
Most common data breach method: Hacking
Of all the types of cybercrime resulting in a data breach, hacking is by far the most common. By finding and exploiting weaknesses in digital networks, devices and computer systems, hackers can spread malware or gain unauthorized access to data which they can use for other criminal activity. Some hackers are hired by companies to deliberately attack their software and systems, so they can identify vulnerabilities and take pre-emptive measures before real criminals have the chance.
INDUSTRY TRENDS
Do you trust social media companies with your personal information?
While most internet users around the world use social media, the majority are skeptical about how their personal data is being used. Just one in five Facebook users in the U.S. trust the social network giant with their personal information. Independently from what social media companies themselves choose to do with personal data, they regularly receive requests from governments for data which can be used in official investigations, including user information, account content, and IP address logs.
INDUSTRY LEADERS
The GDPR in Europe
The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) was introduced in the EU in 2018 in an attempt to better regulate the handling of data and personal information by companies and organizations, and to provide greater protection for the rights and privacy of citizens. Since the regulations were introduced, there have been a number of large fines issued for violations and non-compliance, the highest so far was a 200 million euro fine received by British Airways.
DEMOGRAPHICS & USE
The number of internet users worldwide continues to grow. While internet penetration in the most economically developed countries is already well above 90 percent, there are still billions of people around the world without access. Mobile internet, whether it’s via a high-end smartphone or a cheap feature phone, is transforming the way people go online and what the internet can be used for. Many other factors, like age, gender, education, and income, also have a huge influence on internet access and consumption. Knowing how different demographic groups spend their time online is essential for anyone trying to get a better understanding of how internet users and consumers around the world behave.
MARKET SIZE
How internet access varies by world region
In 2020, the global internet penetration rate was 59 percent. In some parts of the world, such as Europe and North America where digital infrastructure is more developed, online penetration is much higher. In regions where infrastructure is less developed, like parts of Africa and Southern Asia, penetration is far lower. However, as technology improves, and budget smartphones become more widely available, less developed regions are set to see a huge increase in the number of people going online.
MARKET SEGMENTS
One third of the world’s internet users are aged 25 to 34
The Millennial generation makes up roughly a third of the global online adult population. As teenagers come of age, it is likely that the generation to follow Millennials will have just as big a presence in the online world. These younger users have grown up with smart technology and mobile devices, which means being constantly connected is natural to them. Older generations often still see a bigger distinction between online and offline.
INDUSTRY TRENDS
Time spent online keeps increasing
The latest global average for time spent on the internet is close to seven hours a day, with no signs that people are going to consume less any time soon. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant people around the world are spending more time than ever on the internet as they go online to keep up to date with news, communicate with friends and family, study, and look for distraction while confined to their homes.
MOBILE INTERNET & APPS
With 5G technology being rolled out across the globe and the COVID-19 pandemic reshaping the way we view mobile communication; mobile internet is in a peak state of growth. Developers are responding to shifting technological demands, and the rate of mobile consumption has reached unprecedented levels. This, combined with the ever-increasing portability of smart devices, has led to on-the-go connectivity emerging as the new norm.
MARKET SIZE
Mobile internet use highest in Africa and Asia
By 2020, mobile internet made up roughly 60 percent of the total regional web traffic in Africa and Asia. While the market is nearing saturation in Europe and North America, the industry appears to be booming in previously lesser-connected nations. With mobile devices now costing a fraction of what they used to, this increased affordability coupled with the rapid expansion of network infrastructure in developing nations could signal plenty of room for future growth within these regions.
MARKET SEGMENTS
App downloads at an all-time global high
The number of mobile app downloads worldwide has risen steadily, reaching an impressive 204 billion downloads in 2019 – a near 50 percent growth since 2016. As the ownership of tablets, wearable tech and smartphones continues to rise in many parts of the world along with the constant emergence of new technologies, mobile app development is thriving. As app technology improves, global app expenditure by consumers is also growing.
INDUSTRY LEADERS
Android’s market dominance
In recent years, the mobile operating system space has been a battlefield between two giants – iOS and Android. Despite the financial success of Apple’s iOS, Android is more popular because it is the default on cheaper mobile devices. While it may be arguable which platform is the better of the two, Android has dominated the landscape for the last eight years, laying claim to a substantial 73 percent of the global market at the end of 2020.
INDUSTRY TRENDS
Second screen usage has become the norm
As the ownership of smart devices becomes increasingly commonplace – particularly in affluent regions, individuals are more likely to surf the web, log on to social media, or communicate with others whilst watching TV. Over two-thirds of people in the US, the U.K. and Germany use other devices while watching television.
CORONAVIRUS IMPACT
Medical app downloads surge during COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic saw a surge in the download of medical mobile apps. This was most noticeable in South Korea, which experienced a 135 percent growth in medical app downloads between January 2020 and the peak month of the pandemic. India, with a 90 percent growth followed close behind. On average, medical apps saw a 65 percent growth worldwide during this period.
ONLINE SEARCH
In 2020, a year of uncertainty, more people than ever turned to online search engines for information. The number of search queries relating specifically to COVID-19 saw huge increases, as did searches for in-demand products like hand gel, toilet rolls, and yoga mats. More consumers using search engines means more consumer data, resulting in greater potential for advertisers seeking to reach their target audience with relevant ads online. But large tech companies like Google, the dominant market leader in the search sector, are coming under increased scrutiny for their handling of consumer data and digital privacy in general.
MARKET SIZE
Search advertising projected to overtake TV and video ad spend
As can be seen from the success of the market leader Google over the last couple of decades, online search is a lucrative business. In fact, over the next few years, online search is forecast to overtake TV and video to become the advertising industry’s largest segment in terms of ad spend. And by 2022, search advertising expenditure worldwide is expected to reach 137 billion USD.
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MARKET SEGMENTS
Majority of search is mobile
More people than ever are using mobile devices to go online, which has led to mobile overtaking desktop as the most common way users visit search engines. In 2020, mobile devices accounted for over half of organic search engine visits in the US. The availability of smartphones with virtual assistants, and advancements in natural language processing and speech recognition technologies, has resulted in an increase in the number of people using voice searches to access information online.
INDUSTRY LEADERS
Google’s market dominance
Google is the dominant market leader in search, in large part thanks to the quality of the search engine itself which is powered by highly advanced algorithms. However, interoperability with the tech giant’s other products, as well as default settings on browsers and mobile devices have really helped to consolidate Google’s powerful position in the sector. Bing is the only real contender to Google in the English-language online search market, albeit with a far smaller market share in comparison.
INDUSTRY TRENDS
Alternative and regional search providers
Many alternative search providers, like Ecosia and DuckDuckGo, use Bing to power their results through syndication agreements. These alternatives are trying to get a foothold in the search market by offering superior online privacy and, in Ecosia’s case, sustainability incentives. In China, where Google is not available due to disputes over censorship regulations, Baidu is the country’s preferred search engine. In Russia, Yandex is the market leader.
CORONAVIRUS IMPACT
Trending searches during the COVID-19 pandemic
As the coronavirus pandemic spread and began to affect lives around the world, people started using search engines to stay up to date and find the latest information. Search queries relating to COVID-19 increased exponentially, as people checked daily figures, news, and medical advice. People also used search engines to look for products, especially in-demand products that were hard to get hold of in lockdown; from household essentials like toilet roll, to at-home workout gear and loungewear.
ONLINE VIDEO & ENTERTAINMENT
With over 4.5 billion internet users worldwide, engaging in online videos and entertainment remains one of the most popular activities among users. Modern internet generations are increasingly attracted to visual content. Both long and short videos are getting millions, sometimes billions of views.
From the children’s song “Baby Shark”, to the reggaeton hit “Despacito”, and Korean singer Psy’s “Gangnam Style”, YouTube has seen several records in recent years. Apart from entertainment purposes, online videos offer tutorials, educational content, presentations, product reviews, and vlogs.
MARKET SIZE
Billions of users
Although online video and entertainment are popular among all generations, young people tend to spend hours every week on viewing. Nearly 17 percent of internet users aged between 18 and 25 years spend over 20 hours a week watching videos online as of August 2020. Leading platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo attract a growing number of users, and YouTube is expected to have nearly 2.85 billion global users by 2025.
MARKET SEGMENTS
Who watches what?
Popular types of video content include news, sports, as well as watching someone play video games. However, the content that viewers spent the most time on, were movies and TV shows. As of August 2020, 4.5 and 4.6 hours were spent on these two types of digital video content weekly, respectively. Regarding device usage, different tastes are visible in different countries. While the majority of U.S. respondents primarily use their smartphones, users from some European countries prefer smart TVs.
INDUSTRY LEADERS
Platforms for all tastes
Leaders within the online video and entertainment industry include YouTube and Vimeo, as well as TikTok, and vary in genres and themes. While YouTube’s audience can choose between a free version with advertisements and an ad-free premium subscription, Vimeo offers a completely ad-free and free of charge video sharing experience. Vimeo generates revenue by offering software as a service, video editing, and creating tools. By contrast, TikTok is focused on shorter videos and is free for the user.
INDUSTRY TRENDS
Children set the rules
Online video entertainment has become especially popular among children. Easily accessed and re-clicked, some YouTube videos have generated millions of views. ChuChu TV Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs has over 44 million subscribers and is by far, the most subscribed to YouTube channel for children. Moreover, children are among the top-earning YouTube creators. Nine-year-old Ryan Kaji ranked first, with earnings of nearly 30 million U.S. dollars as of June 2020.
SPECIAL FOCUS
The TikTok sensation
Another platform that is especially popular among teenagers and young adults is TikTok. The number of daily active users peaked in March 2020, after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and people were spending more time at home, and in need of entertainment. With social media challenges, food content, dance videos, and influencer collaborations, TikTok attracts millions of users each day. Channels like Charli D’Amelio’s generate millions of followers.
REACH & TRAFFIC
Web traffic is one of the most important metrics to measure performance and success online. What are the most popular websites? How long do internet users spend online and what are the types of content they engage most with? What kind of devices are used to go online and how has this changed in the past few years? After battling it out with Yahoo since 2006, Google claimed the top spot as the most popular website worldwide in 2010 and has held on to the position ever since, generating approximately 81 billion monthly visits at its peak.
MARKET LEADERS
What are the most popular online websites?
Google, Facebook, Amazon… these names are familiar to online users. Apart from being some of the biggest tech companies, the websites belonging to these digital giants are also consistently ranked among the most popular web properties online. Search platform Google.com is the most visited website worldwide with more than 66.5 billion monthly visits from global online audiences in December 2020. Google’s video platform YouTube.com is ranked second with 20.4 billion visits per month.
DIGITAL TRAFFIC
Online traffic varies by vertical
Desktop browsing is no longer automatically the most popular method of accessing online content. In the United States, gaming and social media content already generate more than 90 percent of traffic via mobile devices, with other industries following suit. Education, government, and family services are still mostly accessed via desktop, but this is expected to change due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
SEGMENT OUTLOOK
Mobile is the way forward
In early 2021, mobile accounted for more than half of global online traffic and this trend is constantly accelerating. Some regions which have traditionally lagged in fixed-line online development are considered mobile first – in Africa, over 65 percent of web traffic comes from mobile phones, with many online users not having access to desktop devices at all. North American online usage is still predominantly via desktop.
SOCIAL MEDIA & USER-GENERATED CONTENT
Social media and user-generated content define interactive technologies designed to create and share information, ideas, and interests among virtual communities. Social media varies by text posts, images, videos, comments, and network platforms. Social media global penetration reached nearly 54 percent in 2020. Northern and Western Europe had the largest penetration rate, followed by Northern and Southern America.
Social media consistently expands, advances and grows around the world. The total number of social media users is expected to hit over 4.4 billion individuals by 2025, which would be approximately half of the world population.
MARKET SIZE
Geographical distribution of users
Given that Asia accounts for nearly 60 percent of the global population, it is no surprise that the continent has the largest number of all social media users. In fact, 30 percent of all world users were in Eastern Asia, followed by Southeast and Southern Asia. The number of social network users equaled 3.6 billion worldwide in 2020 and the figure is projected to increase to over 4.4 individuals by 2025: an increase of 22.5 percent over five years.
MARKET SEGMENTS
Types of social networks
There is a wide range of social media, but the leading type is social networking. Whether one needs to connect with friends, to follow the news, or to expand one’s business network, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn keep attracting users. Platforms like Instagram and YouTube focus on photo and video exchange. Blogging networks, as well as visually focused networks such as Pinterest, are where users share interests, and messengers like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are used primarily for texting.
INDUSTRY LEADERS
Facebook is king
Created by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, Facebook is the biggest existing social network with 2.8 billion monthly active users recorded in late 2020 and a revenue of 86 billion U.S. dollars in 2020. Despite its great success, the company has been criticized in recent years and is less popular with younger online users. Both the video-sharing giant YouTube and messaging platform WhatsApp had two billion users in 2020. Billions of individuals were using Facebook Messenger, WeChat, and Instagram too.
INDUSTRY TRENDS
Social media influence
Digital content creators and influencers are very visible on social media. Short-form videos like Instagram stories, TikTok, IGTV, or YouTube content, as well as hosting live streams are popular types of content published by such accounts. The video-sharing app TikTok was global sensation in 2020. With the COVID-19 outbreak causing millions of people to work and study from home and in need of entertainment, TikTok has boomed.
ADDITIONAL REPORTS & MARKET OUTLOOK (COVERING A BROAD RANGE OF SECTORS):
Digital & Trend Reports:
High-quality in-depth information on important and trending topics, such as 5G, digitalization, or artificial intelligence (AI). From cyber security, cloud computing, & robotics to e-commerce and virtual reality (VR), all significant trends are covered.
Industry Reports:
Comprehensive data on markets and industries, including market overviews, revenues, number of employees, as well as the latest information about the state of the industries, trends, and forecasts.
Brands & Company Reports:
Information on top brands and companies in all major industries and regions with detailed company overviews and rankings, including revenue, number of employees, company value, stock price, and major competitors.
Consumer Reports:
Overview of what consumers are thinking, featuring survey data on usage, behavior, attitudes, opinions, & preferences. Get to know the customers in different countries and industries.
Country Reports:
Crucial information regarding the status quo and development of countries & regions (Asia, Europe, Americas, Africa, Australia & Oceania) including key economic indicators like GDP, national finance, demographics, and trade figures as well as major industry players.