'I Report 2014' Main Findings
Online penetration reached 61.4%
Main interests are News, Social Media and Sports News
Nearly half purchase clothes online
1 out of 4 is searching for a job via internet
Increase in Daily visits on Social Media
Facebook records the greatest traffic
Usage of other Social Networks has decreased
Mobile and Tablet are still on the rise
Samsung’s difference from I Phone has more than doubled
The I pad remains ‘the first love’
The annual findings of I Report 2014, the first subscription tool for measuring and analyzing the interactive behavior of Cypriots on the Internet, were announced today by Evresis Research and Interactive Marketing Services Company, ImarComms.
The I Report recorded online penetration in Cyprus amounting to 61.4% in 2013 with an increase of 3.3% from the corresponding period. Namely, more than 6 out of 10 users aged 13 and over are visiting the internet, primarily for general news with 80.7% and secondarily for social networking with 60.9 %.
As the third most frequent reason for visiting the internet the I Report recorded sports news, which climbed to 33.9%, followed closely by Online Purchases with 32.7 %. It is significant to note that for the first time we have the Category ‘Job Search’, which comprises the fifth reason for visiting the internet, with 22.7 %.
As first category of online purchases remains the Category ‘Clothing and Footwear’ with 47.2% and an increase of 5.8%, and as second the Category ‘Travel /Hotels/Tickets’ with 34.4 % and an increase of 7.8 %. As third category emerged the Category ‘Mobile Devices’ with 17.2 %, and as fourth the Category ‘Cosmetics’ with 16.6 %.
"The findings of the I Report 2014 verify the expected rise in the usage of internet for continuous News updating and Online Purchases and also for job searching, providing a direct and economic solution to the economy’s challenges," said Nicholas Nicholaou, Director of Evresis.
Important was the recording of users’ behavior in Social Media as well. In general 65.9% has its own profile in Social Networks with significant rates in all age groups. Facebook continues to hold the lion's share listing beyond 96% of users, achieving also a slight increase from the previous year, while other equally traditional networks recorded reductions. Nevertheless, an increase in online visitation on a daily basis was recorded in various regular intervals throughout the day in all networks.
Increase was also recorded in the usage of the internet via mobile phones reaching 40.3% with an increase of 6.3% from the previous period with Samsung exceeding Apple to more than double in mobile phone devices but not yet in tablets. Most of the Internet users prefer to conduct their banking transactions via mobile phones.
The use of the internet via Tablet has risen to 25.2% of those visiting the Internet, aged 13 and over, with I Pad holding the first place over Samsung. The main Applications that are downloaded are related to social networks, games and News.
"I report 2014 amongst others showed a more systematic use of Social Media on a daily basis, where users are more actively involved, therefore their purchasing choices and decisions are significantly affected, as they concede ", said Pericles Ellinas, CEO of ImarComms.
