Most Brits find their way online

Posted on 8 Feb 2005 at 11:56

Most of the British population now use the World Wide Web. According to a new study by MORI, 60 per cent of the adult population now use the Internet at least once a month with a third of Britons accessing it every day.

For the majority of Internet users in the UK, the World Wide Web is now their primary source of information.

Of those people who use the Internet, nearly three quarters have been using it for three or more years. Among those that didn't use the web, most said they didn't use it because they weren't interested, which is fair enough. When asked what would make them use it, respondents either said cheaper computers or admitted they didn't know enough about it.

Not surprisingly 81 per cent used a search engine when looking for the information they needed, with only 15 per cent relying on random browsing. But, before the search engines start to celebrate they might reflect on the fact that only 26 per cent feel that finding the information they needed was 'very easy' with another 51 per cent finding it 'fairly easy'. Hardly a ringing endorsement.

Over the years many people have expressed concern about the trustworthiness of information that is found on the Internet. In judging how trustworthy the information on a website is, 75 per cent considered the reputation of the organisation behind the site to be the most important factor.

Interestingly, many people rely on a gut instinct in judging the quality of a site. An overwhelming 93 per cent said they felt content was reliable if it appeared to be trustworthy, which suggests a vulnerability to phishing attacks. Similarly, 90 per cent said that it was important to them that the site content appeared up to date.

Design and usability were seen as important factors in a website, according to the survey. Three quarters of those who have used the Web judge a site on the professionalism of the design, with similar numbers considering that the amount of text, use of images and overall layout were important.

The survey was undertaken by MORI on behalf of Common Information Environment group which includes the British Library the Department for Education & Skills the Museums, Libraries & Archives Council and the Scottish Library & Information Council.

Author: Steve Malone