INMA_A01.QXD

web site design (see Chapter 7 for a discussion of this approach). This is an extension of

the traditional marketing approach of psychographic segmentation. See the box

‘Psychographic segmentation for transactional e-commerce’ for an example of this type

of segmentation applied to online purchase behaviour. Which profile do you fit?

Demographic characteristics

Within each country, adoption of the Internet also varies significantly according to indi-

vidual demographic characteristicssuch as sex, age and social class or income. This

analysis is important as part of the segmentation of different groups within a target

CHAPTER 2· THE INTERNET MICRO-ENVIRONMENT

Psychographic
segmentation
A breakdown of
customers according to
different
characteristics.

Psychographic segmentation for transactional e-commerce

Market research firm BMRB (2004) has developed this segmentation which is used to

represent different attitudes to purchasing online.

1 Realistic Enthusiasts (14% 2004, 15% 1999) – characterised by an enthusiastic approach

toward e-commerce but they typically like to see the product in real life before making a

purchase and they often consider that finding the product to purchase is a difficult process.

Examples of this include a willingness to use the Internet for purchases in excess of £500;

they are prepared to purchase products from an unknown company and consider the

convenience of Internet shopping to be more important than price.

2 Confident Brand Shoppers(18% 2004, 16% 1999) – members of this group are happy to

use the Internet for the next time they want to make a purchase in excess of £500, with this

confidence stemming from the importance they lay on purchasing well-known brands and

the necessity to shop around.

3 Carefree Spenders (19% 2004, 15% 1999) – these consumers are prepared to purchase

from unknown companies and do not consider that purchases should be restricted to

well-known brands. Furthermore, they are willing to make the purchase without seeing the

product first.

4 Cautious Shoppers(14% 2004, 20% 1999) – these shoppers are not likely to purchase

goods through an online auction, have concerns over the quality of products they purchase

and would like to see the product prior to making a purchase.

5 Bargain Hunters(21% 2004, 16% 1999) – this group would buy from an unknown company

or any web site as long as it was the cheapest and is driven not by the convenience of the

medium but by price.

6 Unfulfilled(14% 2004, 17% 1999) – this group finds it too difficult to find the products they

wish to purchase on the Internet, they would not buy from any web site or through an

auction and they think it takes too long for products purchased online to be delivered.

Demographic
characteristics
Variations in attributes
of the populations such
as age, sex and social
class.

Figure 2.19Summary of demographic characteristics of Internet users

Source: (September 2003) MORI Technology Tracker. See http://www.mori.com/technology/techtracker.shtmlfor details

Male

52%

AB

32%

Female

49%

45–54

17%

35–44

23%

25–34

21%

15–24

19%

65+

55–64 6%

13%

DE

13%

C2

19%

C1

35%

Gender Age Social grade

Base: All GB public aged 15+ who use the Internet (2,249)