User behaviour in relation to online advertising

1. The user’s attitude in the new digital era

For some years now, the Internet has become an important means of information, communication and entertainment. Such is its impact that a study by We Are Social and Hootsuite, Digital in 2018, has revealed that in the past period the number of online users has reached 53% of the world’s population. In the case of Spain, Internet penetration has reached 85% of the Spanish population. This is a very significant figure to understand that a large part of our society has integrated the Internet into their daily lives.

This integration of the Internet into our routine has reduced the hours of television consumed by users and has increased the time they spend on their computers, tablets, and especially on smartphones, which have become the top-rated devices, as indicated by a study by Deloitte. Smartphones, their applications and even access to wifi networks have conditioned the new habits of users and businesses. If a few years ago making purchases over the Internet entailed many fears on the part of the public, technological advances have made it possible to create greater confidence among users, who today make online purchases more frequently.

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One of the new habits of users is to use the Internet to find answers to their doubts and problems, just as they seek solutions to these questions. This trend implies that consumers now want to find options focused on personalization; they are not interested in conventional products or services, but in those that best suit their needs.

This makes most users turn first to search engines such as Google, and among their results they manage to find the information that solves their doubts. For years, businesses used the Internet as a kind of digital showcase, but the truth is that more and more are adapting to new user habits and transforming their websites into sources of useful information for consumers to attract them. That is why a content and web design adapted to the target audience will accelerate the closing of sales of products or services on the Internet.

Users are aware of the new strategies of companies to adapt to e-commerce because they want to reach them as a target audience, and that is why theconcern of users about the data that reach the companies is gradually increasing, to such an extent that the already known General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was created. For this reason, there are users who browse the Internet using incognito browsing or frequently resort to delete cookies. While they opt for these measures out of concern for their security, this also conditions Internet advertising.

2. Behavior in the face of online ads

And what do users think about the ads that appear when browsing the Internet? After making the leap to e-commerce, many companies are betting on Internet ads because they represent a lower economic investment than that which has to be disbursed for ads on television or in the press. But generating ads involves a new strategy different from traditional advertising.

Bearing in mind that consumers want a personalized experience, betting on conventional advertising methods will not be enough. There are organizations that are allowed to launch ads on various Internet portals, but this at the same time means launching campaigns across the board and without taking into account user preferences. The Dimension 2018 study by Kantar Media revealed that