Nielsen//NetRatings Data Highlights Attractiveness of Newspaper Web Site Audience

Today, the Newspaper Association of America released new information from Nielsen//NetRatings' @Plan service  about the attractive newspaper Web site audience. Nielsen//NetRatings based their analysis and data on 25 markets across the United States. In part, the @Plan data analysis found:

• Newspaper Web site visitors are online much more often than other Internet users. 72.6 percent are online every day, versus just 57.8 percent of overall Internet users. In addition, 87.8 percent of newspaper Web site visitors are online five or more times each week.
• Newspaper Web site visitors are better educated, are more likely to have higher household incomes and more likely to hold professional or managerial positions than other Internet users.
• They are more likely to make purchases online than other Internet users.

• 88.1 percent purchased online in past 6 months vs. 78.9 percent of all Internet users.
• 60.3 percent shopped online for airline tickets and reservations in past 30 days vs. 47.4 percent.
• 54.8 percent shopped for books online vs. 37.9 percent.
• 53.6 percent researched a product for purchase for home in past 30 days vs. 37.2 percent.
• 21.2 percent shopped for real estate online vs. 14.8 percent.
• 14.8 percent plan to purchase computer hardware online vs.9.4 percent.
• 41.7 percent  went online for travel purchases in past 30 days vs. 31.1 percent.
• 52.2 percent planned a trip in past 30 days vs. 38.8 percent.
• 21.8 percent shopped for music online in past 30 days vs. 13.4 percent.
• 24.5 percent shopped for home electronics in past 6 months. vs. 15.4 percent.

• More than half of newspaper Web site visitors have college degrees, compared to just 35 percent of non-visitors (NAA, Power Users, 2006).
• 90 percent of newspaper Web site visitors are employed, compared to just 72 percent of non-visitors (NAA, Power Users, 2006).
• Four in ten newspaper Web site visitors are employed in professional or managerial positions; but only 32.8 percent of the overall Internet audience holds such positions (Neilsen//NetRatings for NAA, 2007).
• In the first quarter of 2007, Newspaper Web sites have helped drive a 13.7 percent increase in total newspaper audience for 25- to 34-year-olds and a 9.2 percent increase for 18- to 24-year-olds (Scarborough Research and NAA, Newspaper Audience Database (NAdbase) report, 2007). 

• In five major local markets (Houston, Orlando, Providence, Kansas City and Sacramento), newspaper Web site readers were more likely than average Internet users in their local markets to purchase airline tickets and other travel services, books and clothing online (Scarborough Research, Integrated Newspaper Audience Report, 2006).
• Seventy-five percent of newspaper Web site visitors comparison shop online, compared to less than 40 percent of non-users (NAA, Power Users, 2006).
• Top items for online shopping in the past six months by newspaper Web site users include books or music (58 percent), clothing (57 percent), airline tickets (53 percent), hotel accommodations (50 percent), electronics (49 percent), and event tickets (48 percent)  (NAA, Power Users, 2006).
• More than 42 percent of consumers say they are motivated to begin an online search after viewing an advertisement in a newspaper (BIGResearch, Simultaneous Media Survey, 2007).
• Advertising credibility is a positive factor for newspaper Web sites. Among newspaper Web site visitors, almost one-third say they are more likely to trust advertising from this source than from anywhere else on the Internet (NAA, Power Users, 2006).

Newspaper Site Users are Early Technology Adopters Nearly 73 percent (72.6) of newspaper Web site visitors go online every day, compared with just 57.8 percent of the Internet population as a whole, the Nielsen//NetRatings analysis revealed. Nearly 42 percent of those who have visited newspaper Web sites have viewed streaming video in the past month. Newspaper Web sites are responding by offering more and more video features – notable examples include Naples Daily News' Studio 55 and The Virginian-Pilot's HamptonRoads.tv. In addition:

• More newspaper Web site visitors read blogs in the past month than the overall Internet-using population (28.4 percent versus 16.9 percent) (Nielsen//NetRatings for NAA, 2007).

• Newspaper Web site users are much more likely to own new electronic devices we measured, including portable e-mail devices (such as Treo or Blackberry), MP3 players, portable gaming devices and digital video recorders. Fifty-eight percent of newspaper Web site users own one of these devices, compared with 36 percent of non-users (NAA, Power Users, 2006).
• Among newspaper site visitors who own Treos, Blackberries or other portable e-mail devices, 48 percent are very or somewhat interested in news or event information to these devices, while 18 percent are interested in advertising and product offers (NAA, Power Users, 2006).

• Newspaper Web sites capture the majority of local online revenue in more than 95 percent of U.S. markets (Borrell Associates, 2007).
• Newspaper Web sites are helping newspapers increase their market penetration, in some cases beyond 80 percent (The Media Audit, 2007).
• Forty-nine daily newspapers achieve a total net reach of more than 70 percent in the United States counting print and Web readership (The Media Audit, 2007).

First Published:
May 7, 2007