Singapore Statistics That Businesses Need To Know

Digital marketing in Singapore is enjoying its time in the limelight as more consumers go online for shopping, travel and other personal interest needs.

Businesses see a greater need for an online marketing agency to help boost their internet presence, reach a larger audience and attract consumers. Executed in a strategic and cost-effective manner, digital advertising can greatly augment the success of a business.

In every endeavour, information is key and below are important statistics that a digital marketing agency in Singapore should be aware of:

Age distribution of internet users

According to statista.com, 31% of internet users in Singapore are between 25 and 34 years old, 28% are between 15 and 24 years old. In a survey this year, it was found that 96% of internet users between the ages of 25 and 34 were accessing the internet every day. In the Young Asians survey released by Synovate one of the leading global research agencies, Singaporean youth has the highest ownership of smart phone (22%) as compared to their peers in Asia. Youth in Singapore also have the highest laptop ownership at 47%; and 68% of them engaged in social networking. With these statistics, it is quite easy to identify the best target audience and potential consumers. It is best to customize an advertising campaign to a niche market. Declaring "we've got everything for you" doesn't really work to your advantage and could spell disaster for your budget department.

Why are these statistics important? 

We see too many advertisements that fail to communicate their message or pique the interest of potential customers. It is crucial to determine your market and focus all your efforts on that segment. Once you have identified your target audience, write for them and package your products and services with them in mind. Bots crawl the web and yes, you need keywords in the text to create traffic, but keep it readable. Research about your target market to gain insight on who they are and speak to them in the appropriate media using a more personal tone and you'd be sure to create a following.

Online consumer behaviour

Numbers from Digital Marketing Yearbook 2012 by ADMA, Singaporean online shoppers still have trust issues to overcome and would tend to spend on websites they are familiar with. Half of them feel uncomfortable giving out credit card or bank account details online. The same is true to the 74% of Singaporeans that have access to the mobile internet daily, 65% of which have cancelled a potential transaction because they are wary about submitting their financial details via mobile phones. An interesting statistical finding, however, is that if the value of the product is less than $100, then 75% of Singaporeans would be happy to use their mobile phones to conduct the purchase.

What do these numbers mean? 

An online marketing agency can build trust by building links intelligently. Start with links from trusted directories, sites that are viewed as authorities in the industry. Analyzing the inbound links of your competition and get linked similarly. Invest in a secure online payment vendor to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of the customers' personal and bank details. Send them ads that matter to them. Forty-five percent of Singapore’s internet users don’t mind online ads if they are relevant. According to Digital Marketing Yearbook 2012 by ADMA, the top ten things Singaporeans buy online are:

1.  Travel (e.g. plane tickets / hotel accommodations) 

2.  Clothes 

3.  Holiday (abroad) 

4.  Gifts 

5.  Healthcare / pharmaceutical products 

6.  Books 

7.  Personal items (e.g. watches, handbags, etc.) 

8.  Mobile phones 

9.  Films 

10.  Financial products (e.g. insurance policies)

Get your site listed in local/social directories and provide an avenue for customers to leave reviews of your business. The focal point of your site should be the pros of your company/service. Highlight consumer benefits and tell your potential customers what's in it for them. As a business owner, you would probably think of the additional costs in achieving all these, but businesses do not need huge amounts of budget to get all them done, there are simple and effective ways of placing your website in strategic places on the web for added exposure and traffic.

Penetration of selected social networks in Singapore 

Digital Marketing Yearbook 2012 by ADMA also did a research on the social networking activities of Singapore. As of late 2013, 96% of internet users in the country had an account with any social network. The most popular social network is Facebook with a 92% penetration rate. Singaporeans spend an average of 4.4hrs on social networks a day. Eighty-five percent 85% visit social media sites, and 70% engage with brands or companies. Facebook and Google are the two most frequently mentioned brands in SG Twitter conversations among young professionals and graduating students. The top three web apps are Google, Facebook and Youtube.

Why put an ear on social media behaviour?

Keeping yourself in the know of what is relevant to your audience will enable you to advertise and build the brand in the right places. Keep tabs on what they read, watch, and listen to, and place your advertisement in platforms that will have the biggest impact. Gain community following in these platforms by removing the business aspect of the business. Be human. The reason why these social media platforms exist is to foster relationships and connections with people. You will be frowned upon if most if not all your social media posts are full of salesy-pitches and corporate jargons.

Digital marketing in Singapore does not end when you have a lot of web traffic. For an agency doing SEO in Singapore, to expertly navigate the country's rapidly evolving digital landscape and deliver high quality results, it must apply strategic solutions and later on regroup to find out how strategic and effective these solutions were. Testing and monitoring ads by investing in focus groups is one way of obtaining consumer feedback. Put your ads to the test to see if people get the message you are trying to bring across. The simple task of asking new customers where they heard about you will give you knowledge of business generating ads. Consistently create great content, strategically use social media tools and you are sure to build an audience of loyal prospects and customers.