Gartner: Email, Search still tops for consumers

Despite increases in online shopping options, content sites and social networks, a recent report from Gartner indicates that email and online search continue to rank at the top of consumers' lists of things to do online.

by Kristina Knight

Gartner researchers surveyed more than 4700 consumers in 18 different countries and in several age groups. Interestingly enough, online banking ranked third, behind email and search as the most popular applications. Social aspects of the internet (sharing photos, uploading/watching videos and creating content) ranked fourth. Mapping and shopping ranked fifth and sixth in popularity.

Things are slightly different in the teen demographic with downloading music, blogging and social networking ranking high on the trend meters. Interest in the teen age group should be the next areas of importance for marketers.

“[Teens] should be regarded as the precursors of what is to come,” said Elroy Jopling, research director at Gartner. “The Internet has become a utility for most consumers, who use it for communicating, gathering information and performing financial transactions. However, a new ‘trickle down’ phenomenon, where teenagers lead the evolution of consumer Internet applications, heralds a new era where Internet applications will mimic life — communicating, entertaining, socializing, informing, transactional, either in a fixed location or on the move.”