Communications report 2010-11 series: report 1

• The Australian Communications and Media Authority

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Image: alles-schlumpf / flickr

16 November 2011Australians continue to embrace the internet, enabling the ongoing development of the digital economy. To the majority of Australians, going online is the norm for everyday social and economic interactions—at April 2011, 59 per cent of adults went online several times a day for purposes not related to their work. This has increased from 53 per cent in November 2009. While Australians undertake a variety of activities via the internet, growth in online transacting (banking, bill payment and purchasing) is at the core of changing service delivery models and the transformation of customer service delivery.

The key changes identified in this report include:

• greater use by businesses of group buying and social media as online shopping channels to complement traditional shopfront services
• increased revenues from online shopping channels
• more purchases being made online by Australian consumers
• a significant shift to overseas websites for online purchasing
• increased use of mobile or m-commerce, with banking and bill payment activities dominating a decline in the proportion of people reporting lack of trust in the internet as a barrier to purchasing online.

The online shopping market can be challenging for the Australian consumer to navigate. This is a reflection of the growing number and variety of service providers both in Australia and overseas, the range of goods and services on offer for purchase online, and trust and security issues with transacting online. Despite these issues, Australians have embraced online shopping, highlighting the tangible benefits of the digital economy—convenience, time and cost savings, and greater choice in service providers with no geographical constraints.

Photo: alles-schlumpf / flickr