The document outlines the evolution of the internet, highlighting significant milestones and current statistics on internet usage globally, with 4.6 billion users accounting for 59% of the population as of January 2021. It discusses trends in mobile device usage, online shopping preferences, and the impact of social media on content consumption, noting that mobile devices generate over half of web traffic. Additionally, it emphasizes the growing importance of voice search and the integration of advanced technologies like 5G in shaping digital marketing strategies.

1. DIGITAL
EVOLUTION
PRESENTED BY EMMA HANSEN

2. INTRODUCTION
Alongside other innovators including J.C.R Licklider,
Kleinrock’s paper sparked the innovation responsible
for revolutionising the way we communicate with the
initial concept of the world wide web. Fast forward 60
years, the internet has become a staple in daily life
reimagining the way we organise and operate.
In 1961, Leonard Kleinrock wrote about
ARPANET; a paper he entitled
‘information flow in large
communication nets’.

3. ACCESS TO THE INTERNET
59%
As of January 2021, 4.6 billion internet users have
been recorded worldwide, making up 59% of the
total population.
CONNECTED GLOBALLY

4. ACCESS TO THE INTERNET
93% PENETRATION RATE
North America accounts for 347 million internet users,
with a penetration rate of 93%. This is the largest rate
across the 7 regions.
2.7 BILLION CONNECTED
Responsible for over half of internet users worldwide,
Asia accounts for 2.7 billion users alone, making it the
most connected region.

5. ACCESS TO THE INTERNET
50
250
200
100
150
Singapore Hong Kong Romania Switzerland Thailand
Mbps
TOP FIVE INTERNET SPEEDS (MEGABITS PER SECOND)

6. ACCESS TO THE INTERNET
South
Korea
China United Arab
Emirates
Qatar
Netherlands
Mbps
TOP FIVE MOBILE SPEEDS (MEGABITS PER SECOND)
0
200
150
50
100

7. DIGITAL DEVICES USED BY AUDIENCES
5.27 BILLION
Approximately 5.27 billion people have access to a
mobile device. Mobile usage accounts for over half
of global web traffic generating 54.8 percent as of
2021.
MOBILE USERS GLOBALLY

8. The Asia-Pacific region is responsible for 53% of
worldwide mobile users. This region alone has the two
highest consumer rates in the world. As the leading
country in mobile use, China has recorded over 1.6
billion users, as India follows with over 480 million.
ASIA-PACIFIC REGION
DIGITAL DEVICES USED BY AUDIENCES

9. HOW CUSTOMERS SEARCH FOR INFORMATION
50.71%
Mobile has accounted for 50.71% of all
searches, slightly overtaking desktop. As
of 2021, 92.6% of all searches are done
via mobile device.
45.53%
As of 2019, desktop searches
dropped to 45.53% worldwide
being overtaken by mobile.

10. Almost 9/10 searches are
made using chrome or
safari.
Chrome
68%
Safari
19%
Edge
4%
Firefox
4%
Samsung Internet
3%
Opera
2%
Google Chrome and Safari are the most widely
used browsers with 9/10 of worldwide searches
being made through either of these engines,
validating their internet supremacy.
Up until 2018, Chrome came preinstalled
on all Android devices. As Android runs
on nearly 3/4 mobile devices, the
market dominance is expected. Chrome
currently holds 65.27% of the Browser
Market Share worldwide.
HOW CUSTOMERS SEARCH FOR INFORMATION
65%
Browser Market Share Worldwide

11. HOW CUSTOMERS SEARCH FOR INFORMATION
150% 47%
Searches without
location qualifiers such
as “near me” have
grown by 150% on
Google. This is clear
indication users now
expect Google to
automatically provide
geographically
relevant results.
Voice search is
becoming a preferred
method for short
searches, with 47% of
internet users having
utilised this tool.

12. WHAT CONSUMERS BUY ONLINE
Fashion
29%
Toys, Hobby and
DIY
21%
Electronics and
Media
20%
Food and Personal
Care
17%
Furniture and
Appliances
13%
Latest figures indicate
fashion retailors are leading
global internet purchases.
The top five shopping categories worldwide (USD):
Fashion – $759.5 billion
Toys, Hobby and DIY - $590.7 billion
Electronics and Media - $542.4 billion
Food and Personal Care - $468.5 billion
Furniture and Appliances - $362.9 billion

13. WHAT CONSUMERS BUY ONLINE
1.8 billion internet users purchase goods online.
47% of ecommerce sales were made through online marketplaces in 2020.
5.2 BILLION VISITS 1.6 BILLION VISITS
Amazon currently leads the global
marketplace with 5.2 billion visits responsible
for $386 billion revenue in 2020. Over 300
million over its users are subscribed to
Amazon Prime services.
With 187 million users worldwide, eBay
follows Amazon as the second most popular
marketplace. The service provides a large
pool of items with 1.7 billion listings recorded
on the site.

14. ONLINE VIDEO CONSUMPTION
Over 2 billion people consume media through YouTube,
making up one-third of all internet users.
2 BILLION
500 HOURS
70%
An approximated 500 hours of content is uploaded every
minute on the platform. With this, over 5 billion videos are
consumed daily.
70% of what people watch on the platforms is content
suggested by YouTube’s algorithm. YouTube has employed
this to extend user watch time by suggesting related videos,
thus promoting extended watch time.

15. ONLINE VIDEO CONSUMPTION
Social apps such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok are blurring
the lines between entertainment and social media. These platforms are
shifting to all-in-one services where users can not only browse media, but
create, share and view content. It is predicted by 2022, online videos will
account for over 82% of all internet traffic.
SOCIAL MEDIA VS VIDEO

16. CONSUMER TRENDS
Trending technology within the last
3-5 years:
According to a 2018 study released by
BrightLocal, 58% of consumers used
voice search to find a local business in
2017. To respond increased popularity
towards voice recognition software,
voice AI is progressing towards precise
word and phase recognition.
VOICE
RECOGNITION
Location-based experiences may
present opportunity for brands to
interact with customers based on
geographic location. Tapping into
this technology will allow brands to
create unique experiences
personalised to the individual.
GPS 5G
CONNECTION
Faster data speeds will allow for an
enriched advertising experience with
4k capabilities, alongside
opportunities for VR and AR
integration. In addition to this, data
collection will be conducted from a
wider pool of people allowing for
higher degrees for user interactivity
and personalisation.

17. SUMMARY
“Every company can choose
whether to lead or follow the
emerging digital trends”.
Bill Gates

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