U.S. Spanish-Speakers: Active Online

The U.S. Spanish-speaking population is taking to the Internet, and a Feedback Research study identifies their online habits.

Relatively new to the Web, 79 percent of Spanish-speaking Hispanics have used the Internet for five years or less, but are already highly engaged in online activities. Forty-six percent of Spanish-speakers have been on the Internet less than two years, compared to the identified 17 percent of non-Spanish speakers. As the population grows, the number of Spanish-language Hispanic households accessing the Web via broadband continues to rise.

A variety of activities draws an high number of Spanish-speaking Internet users online. Seventy percent are more likely to read news and current events online, compared to 51 percent of non-Spanish speaking users. Chat and IM programs are popular with 49 percent of this group, compared to 24 percent of non-Hispanics. As many as 43 percent of the Spanish-speaking population look up sports scores and news, compared to 24 percent of non-Hispanics. Thirty-eight percent of Latino, and 24 percent of the non-Latino population watch and listen to video and audio files, while 29 percent of Spanish-speakers and 21 percent of non-Spanish speakers download music.

E-commerce is a big draw for this online population. Fifty-four percent of Spanish-speaking respondents make online purchases, and 45 percent of those surveyed expect to increase online purchases of products and services within the next year. Favorable prices is justification for 69 percent of Spanish-speakers to shop on the Internet, while 58 percent of respondents from the same segment are comfortable with the secure credit card transactions.

Spanish-language sites are the preferred channel among Hispanic online users. Sixty-nine percent of Spanish-speakers visit sites in Spanish to buy and research products. Hispanic respondents are 49 percent more likely to buy from a Spanish language site when shopping online.

The survey was conducted using Feedback Research’s one-to-one research. The firm utilizes information and respondents from parent company Claria’s GAIN Network.