第2回富士通総研インターネットユーザー調査

JAPANESE

Results of FRI's Second Internet User Survey
- Branding is key to dominance in search engine sector -
- Online stores don't measure up -

Fujitsu Research Institute (FRI) has compiled the latest results of its Internet User Survey, an ongoing effort to discover and clarify the latest trends among Japan's Internet users.

Purpose of the survey
Internet usage in Japan has transcended the "boom" phase and is now becoming a permanent fixture of consumer life. World Wide Web services such as search engines have become information centers attracting large number of users, and online shopping is showing steady growth. In light of these developments, the latest FRI survey focused on the following three points:
1) Overall changes in Internet user demographics/attitudes over the past half year (since September of 1997)
2) Use of search engine/directory services
3) Use of online shopping services


Overview of survey results
- Usage broadens beyond male "salarymen" to encompass broader range of consumer segments
Noteworthy changes in basic Internet user profiles since the first FRI survey include 1) a growing number of women (to 27.8% from 22.4%) and 2) fewer "salaryman" corporate employees (to 57.4% from 64.9%). This suggests that the typical Internet user profile, which was strongly skewed toward male corporate employees, is steadily broadening to encompass segments such as women, full-time housewives, students and other groups.

- Use of the Internet from home for entertainment and enjoyment of personal interests continues to grow
Compared to the first survey, the number of respondents who cited "work or study" as their primary purpose for using the Internet declined, while those who cited "entertainment or personal interests" as their primary purpose for using the Internet surpassed 70%. What's more, the number of respondents who access the Internet from their homes (64.7%) was double the number of users who go online from their workplaces (32.3%).

- Eighty-five percent use search engines, with Yahoo! JAPAN boasting overwhelming share
Search engines/directory services were the most frequently accessed World Wide Web services, cited by 85.5% of respondents. Yahoo! JAPAN was by far the most popular service (excluding overseas services), used primarily by 60.7% of respondents, greatly outdistancing goo (16.2%) and Infoseek Japan (11.9%).
Most respondents who use Yahoo! JAPAN cited as reasons factors closely intertwined with brand recognition, such as "because it's well-known," and "because I remember the URL." In contrast, most respondents who use goo cited functional reasons such as "because it performs better than other search engines" and "because it's easier to use than other services."

- Dominance of multi-content search engine sites
A total of 55.1% of all respondents said they frequently access news-related World Wide Web sites. The two news sites most frequently viewed are Asahi.com and Nikkei Net, cited by 35.3% and 28.3% of respondents, respectively.
A number of search sites such as Yahoo! JAPAN provide news from newspaper companies and wire services. A total of 21.3% of respondents said they view news on Yahoo! JAPAN, making Yahoo! JAPAN the third most popular news site after Asahi.com and Nikkei Net.
The reasons respondents gave for selecting Asahi.com, the most popular news site, included "because it's well-known" and "because I remember the URL." In contrast, the overwhelming majority of those who use Yahoo! JAPAN to view news said it is "because I use the (Yahoo! JAPAN) search engine," underscoring search service site dominance in terms of visitor-drawing power.

- Approximately 50% have online shopping experience, some stores enjoy repeat customers
The number of male respondents with online shopping experience reached 50.0%, and the combined rate for both male and female respondents rose to 48.0%, up 7.8 points compared to half a year ago. Of those with experience shopping online, 74.4% had done so twice or more, and of these, 61.9% were "repeaters" who have shopped two or more times at the same online store.

Nearly 80% of those with experience find online shopping "convenient"
Of those respondents with experience buying online, 78.7% found it "convenient," suggesting that users have high expectations regarding Internet shopping. But online stores still have much room for improvement: 27.5% of respondents said they were "uneasy until the merchandise actually arrived," while 20.0% said that "the purchase ended up being quite expensive after shipping charges were included."

- Online stores don't measure up
When choosing an online store at which to make an actual purchase, 51.3% of those with online shopping experience cited "easy-to-understand merchandise selection and purchasing procedures," while 48.3% cited "complete information about the merchandise" as key decision factors. More respondents rated both of these factors as important than who rated transaction security, payment method variety, or the store's reputation, yet both relate to the most rudimentary aspects of operating an online store. This suggests that there are still many, many online shops that are not meeting user needs at the most basic level, forcing visitors to search long and hard for detailed product information, conditions of purchase, and other critical information.


The FRI Internet User Survey
This ongoing survey, focused on the impact the Internet is having on both consumer lifestyles and corporate activity, is being conducted for the purpose of discovering the business possibilities for companies that view the Internet as a new form of consumer market. This second survey follows the first implementation conducted in September of 1997.

Survey methodology
The iMiNet, an e-mail-based marketing service, was used for the survey. A total of 1,750 people were selected from the iMiNet's consumer members database of approximately 85,000 and sent an e-mail questionnaire on March 1, 1998. A total of 1,574 responses were collected by March 8 for a valid response rate of 89.9%.
- Target population: World Wide Web users
- Survey period: 3/1/98 through 3/8/98
- Survey methods: e-mail-based questionnaire
- Sample size: 1,574 valid responses from 1,750 recipients


About the Fujitsu Research Institute
The Tokyo-based Fujitsu Research Institute was established in June of 1986 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Ltd. As a think tank, it provides research and management consulting services aimed at contributing to society at large.

iMiNet
The iMiNet service used for this survey is a new type of e-mail-based marketing media tool developed by Fujitsu. It is used to conduct research and provide direct mail promotions via e-mail to Internet and NIFTY SERVE users who have voluntarily registered to participate in the service (there were 85,000 registrants as of March 1998). iMiNet, which stands for Interactive Marketing Interface Network, is a one-to-one medium that makes possible direct dialog between corporations and consumers.

For more information contact:
J.usui,FUJITSU RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Phone: +81-3-5401-8393(Tokyo Japan)
E-mail:usuij@fri.fujitsu.co.jpInternet User Survey 1st