Ratings and reviews trump real-world friends
Hispanics are taking to the Internet in greater numbers, closing the usage gap with the general market, and they are enthusiastic about going online. Younger than the overall population, Hispanic Web users trust the information they find online.
A study from AOL found that nearly three-quarters of Hispanic Web users had confidence in product rating sites, for example, compared with 28% who put more stock in the opinions of their friends.
Hispanic users were more positive about many uses of the Internet than the general market, including staying abreast of current events, finding deals and keeping up with pop culture.
According to the study, Hispanics were more likely to turn to the Web in almost every phase of the purchase decision, from beginning the learning process and learning about brands to comparing prices and making a final decision. Only when it came to learning about product features were Hispanics behind the general market in Web usage.
Power users—those who spend the most time online, connect via mobile and are seen as innovators—are more likely to communicate through a variety of Web channels, and less likely than average Hispanics to use e-mail or talk over the phone and in person. About nine in 10 power users share deals and entertainment info with their friends, and many are content creators.
Marketers’ assumptions about the importance of Hispanics’ acculturation levels may be wrong, according to the survey. There was very little difference in the habits of Hispanic-dominant, bicultural and US-dominant users—except that Hispanic-dominant respondents were more likely to be early adopters.
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Check out today’s other article, “Making the Most of Earned Media.”
