Web surfing Germans are online at home nearly as much as Americans, according to a survey of the European by MMXI Europe BV. The firm also discovered that sites using local languages are becoming more popular.
Germans, according to the survey, spent an average of about five hours in the month of October online while at home. Brits spend four hours a month and the French netizens averaged about three hours a month. In comparison, U.S. net usage at home is nearly five and a half hours a month. The three European countries have a combined 15.5 million Internet users compared to 61.3 million U.S. users.
Additionally, the report shows an increased interest by users in native language websites. Although the survey found American Web addresses still have a large audience, as more European users go online there is an increasing interest in local Web material.
"We're starting to enter the second wave of Europeans coming online--the first 10 percent or so were perhaps more comfortable with technology and English-language content," Stefan Slowinski, Internet analyst at Robertson Stephens International, told Reuters, adding, "We really think the second wave--the next 20 percent--is the big opportunity for local heroes to come in."
It's a point that virtual casino and sportsbook operators might want to keep in mind if they don't already offer multilingual software and customer support.