Internet advertisers pay a lot of attention to segmentation based on income, education, age, gender, and even psychographics. One of the most striking categories of Internet users, however, is the category of persons who use the Internet both at home and at work. This is a truly elite segment.
Income, Education, Sophistication
Last month, The Strategis Group released the latest edition of its biannual Internet User Trends study, which is based on a nationwide representative telephone survey. The survey revealed that home-and-work Internet users have a median income of about $67,000, compared to $51,000 for work-only users and $48,000 for home-only users. Sixty-five percent have a college diploma, relative to only 52 percent of work-only users and 40 percent of home-only users.
Home-and-work users are more sophisticated users of the medium. They send far more attachments and a far larger percentage regularly works on a web page. They know a great deal more about high-speed access via cable modems and DSL (digital subscriber line) technology. They’re more likely to use a wireless phone, a laptop, a pager, and a personal digital assistant. A lot more likely, in most cases.
Yep, they represent only 21 percent of the US adult population, but there’s no doubt about it. This is an elite segment.
Place of Use |
Median Income
|
Graduated from College
|
Make Online Purchases
|
Home-and-Work Users |
$67,000
|
65%
|
53%
|
Work-Only Users |
$51,000
|
52%
|
20%
|
Home-Only Users |
$48,000
|
40%
|
34%
|
Source: The Strategis Group, Inc.
Ally McWho?
Home-and-work users don’t like television. The average home-and-work user claims to watch only 2.1 hours per day, which is far less than home-only or work-only users. And only about half of the 4.3 hours of television viewing per day for the average American. In fact, home-and-work users report using the Internet for an average of 10.3 hours per week at work, plus 7.4 hours at home. This combined figure of 17.7 hours actually exceeds the number of hours they report watching television, which is 14.7 hours on a weekly basis.
What About E-Commerce?
E-commerce is no exception. Some 53 percent of home-and-work users purchase online, compared to about one in five work-only users and one in three home-only users. And they spend a lot more.
They are far more likely to bank, pay bills, and buy airline tickets online. Chat and entertainment, however, are another story. Home only users dominate chat and are more inclined to use the Internet for amusement.
Action Plan
The bottom line is that home-and-work use is a great category for segmentation. Everyone uses age, income, gender, and education. These are the obvious ones. In many cases, however, they are not the best ones. Home-and-work use is a great way to segment, and it isn’t the only Internet behavior-based possibility for segmentation. Hours of use is another, but maybe I’ll cover that in a later column.
Now for the obvious question. If they’re richer, savvier, and better educated, it’s natural to ask whether they’re also better looking and where can you meet them. Sorry, I’m an Internet analyst, not a dating service.