Yahoo leads the email market in Iran (Infographic)

Chimigi, Iran’s first online research panel, has released a selection of highlights from its syndicated study on the latest web trends in Iran. It is the fifth in a series of online studies designed to create greater transparency for both foreign and local companies on the attitudes and behaviours of Iranians consumers and professionals. The sample included 800 respondents who currently live in Iran and was fielded between December 24th and 30th 2012.

− Two­‐thirds of Iranians prefer Yahoo as their email service provider

− NOD32 leads the anti-­‐virus software market in Iran

The web trends study gauged email usage and the popularity of accounts amongst Iranians. Nearly two-­‐thirds (63%) of respondents stated that they use Yahoo as their primary email service provider. Gmail follows at 32%, leaving Hotmail with only a negligible 2% of the market. In terms of email usage per day, 69% of Iranians report spending two hours per day or less, 18% between 2-­‐4 hours, and 13% heavy users are on for 5 hours or more.

“Iran remains one of Yahoo’s leading markets,” said Amir-­Esmaeil Bozorgzadeh, the Managing Partner of Conovi, the parent company behind the online research panel. “Although the general idea is that the more tech-­‐savvy users prefer Gmail, and the trend we’re seeing is certainly moving in Google’s direction.” The study also covered web trends like usage of Internet security applications, e­‐commerce platforms and payment gateways, and preferences in the structure and design of websites. The anti-­‐virus market in particular is led by ESET’s NOD32 (48%), followed afar by Kaspersky (18%), and Microsoft’s Security Essentials (9%). With what is being coined as an e-­‐commerce renaissance in Iran, over two-­‐thirds of respondents indicated a strong demand for web products and services to be localized to their native language, Farsi. “There is an increasing need for foreign portals to fully localize their user experience in markets like Iran,” added Bozorgzadeh. “The brands that appreciate this fact with sufficient gravity, and actually act on it, will set themselves apart.” The demographics of the audience consisted of a highly educated audience, 68% of which possess a bachelors degree or higher (18% hold a masters degree). 23% are 18-­‐24 years of age, 50% between 25-­‐34, and 23% between 35-­‐54. The majority of respondents are male (79%), 51% are reportedly single, and 46% are married. 51% lived in households with 3-­‐4 people, while 36% lived with 1-­‐2 people.