Various surveys around the world are trying to analyze and present performance analyses of various segments of the markets with information technology, Internet, mobile phones, smartphones and PCs / laptops use as a base. CommScore US survey of 2010 shows a pattern of e-mail usage – web based e-mail usage in various age segments in the US. The report shows the use of web based e-mail reducing by 59 percent in the age bracket of 12 to 17. The age brackets of 18 to 54 definitely can be termed as e-commerce – users or buyers over the web. The age brackets of 55 to 65 plus, are definitely not the computer savvy lot and e-commerce does not really play a role in this bracket.
While it is not right to say that e-mail usage has gone down, the right perspective is that with the advent of powerful smartphones and tablets, mobile e-mail has grown in the younger age group against web-based e-mail services. Social media like Facebook and Twitter have also seen a phenomenal rise in usage, as also instant messaging, and SMS.
While e-commerce has definitely grown in the last two years, and that too with severe economic downturn in the market is what requires analysis. With the smartphone explosion and easier communication over mobile apps, as also accessibility to various products from remote locations seems to be the factor for the rise of e-commerce figures. Physical retail stores and malls, physical review in person, availability of a large range on the shelves, lack of ready comparisons at stores, etc. play a major role when it comes to comparison of purchases from stores vis-à-vis online purchases. In an online purchase, you easily get details of specifications, pricing, deals, range comparisons, reviews over blogs, and various such features enhance growth in e-commerce.
However, as per the reports, a 5 percent jump was noticed in 2010 over a similar period in 2009. Accruing this to growth in e-commerce is not fair. In fact a CommScore survey also shows, that e-mail as one of the most popular activities on the web still, a 70 percent of users accessing their e-mail on the web and 30 percent of all mobile subscribers accessing e-mail through their mobile devices. Although mobile e-mail access is growing leaps and bounds, this disparity is still in the younger age bracket only. This definitely does not conclude any relationship between e-mail usage and e-commerce increase.
