Alex Daniel, 7th August 2006.

If you have ever had any doubt of the incredible value of the Internet in Australia the following statistics will quickly change your mind.

General Statistics

Approximately 68% (14 million people) of the Australian population have access to the Internet (March 2005). This is a 200% increase from the year 2000 where only 34% (6.6 million people) had Internet access.

Internet usage continues to grow at a steady pace in Australia. How much business will you lose before investing in a quality web site to capture your target market?

A breakdown of Internet subscribers in Australia:

Location Percentage New South Wales 34% Victoria 26% Queensland 18% South Australia 6% Western Australia 10% Tasmania 2% Northern Territory 1% Australian Capital Territory 3% Access Type Percentage Dialup 30% Broadband 70%

As you can see from the above information, broadband Internet subscribers make up 70% of the total Australian Internet population. This number continues to grow quickly, making way for a better Internet experience for your customers.

Factors to consider when developing web media

When developing new web site media for Australia it's easy to get carried away with the new speed capabilities offered by broadband Internet access.

As recent as 2 years ago the focus of web site development was on two factors: content and efficiency. A new movement has arisen that discounts efficiency as an important factor in a successful website and replaces it with a different idea: presentation.

Web site designers have quickly realised that flashy animations and high-speed video count for nothing if there is not enough quality information to keep the user interested.

To coin a popular phrase, "Content is King".

Taking advantage of broadband Internet access

Your web site should be developed to provide quick and easy access to all content for dialup Internet users. Once your web site has loaded all initial content you can then take advantage of broadband speeds by providing additional features.

Additional broadband-only features could include:

• Interactive games
• Videos
• Presentations
• Interactive chat
• Banners that stream video content when clicked
• etc

It is important to ensure that all relevant information can be easily accessed by both dialup and broadband users. Most Internet users are impatient with slow loading web sites - 10 seconds is the maximum you should expect your customers to wait before they are presented with your home page. If your web site is unable to load within 10 seconds on a dialup modem you should assume your customers will go elsewhere for the information they seek.

Staying ahead of the curve

Kinesis Interactive Design can develop a web site that works efficiently for dialup users yet provides the rich experience many broadband users are looking for. Don't put it off any longer - contact Kinesis now to get started on your new web site or upgrade your existing web site.

Additional Information and References

Statistics gatherd from Australian Bureau of Statistics (2005): http://www.abs.gov.au
Internet World Stats: http://www.internetworldstats.com/sp/au.htm