Paid content: Internet users will pay for convenience
As the media industry—and the newspaper industry in particular—expands its plans for paid content, the question of what users are willing to pay for is increasingly coming to the fore. Author Nicholas Carr analyzes the New York Times’ paid-content plans.
As various surveys have shown in recent months, the willingness to pay for news content is very low - according to Pressetext, a British study even revealed a willingness to pay of just five percent. Industry insiders and technology experts such as US author Nicholas Carr nevertheless believe in consumers' willingness to pay. In the future, it will be all about what content people are willing to pay for. This is because the willingness to spend money on content from the web varies depending on the sector (music, news, social media).
While many are against the New York Times' plans to switch at least partially to paid content on the web in the future and see little chance of success, Carr believes that users will be prepared to pay for easy and convenient access. Critics assume that users will bypass paid content and switch to other sources. This is precisely what Carr does not believe in his analysis. Not everyone has the time and technical knowledge to circumvent the payment barriers. Many would simply be prepared to invest small amounts to enjoy barrier-free access to information and other content - especially when it comes to renowned and trustworthy platforms and sources such as the New York Times. The best example of successful paid content is iTunes. While the music industry is struggling with piracy, Apple has been able to establish a successful online store where people are happy to pay for digital music. This is also about a kind of convenience, simple and uncomplicated availability.
Another example that is currently being used a lot to prove consumers' willingness to pay is the mobile sector - cell phones, various mobile devices and, last but not least, e-books. "In contrast to internet surfers, cell phone users are used to paying money to access information. This willingness to pay will also be transferred to mobile reading devices," Holger Kansky from the Federal Association of German Newspaper Publishers (BDZV) told Pressetext. The high demand for e-books during the Christmas period, especially in the USA, has shown that the success of mobile reading devices is no longer in doubt.
While many are against the New York Times' plans to switch at least partially to paid content on the web in the future and see little chance of success, Carr believes that users will be prepared to pay for easy and convenient access. Critics assume that users will bypass paid content and switch to other sources. This is precisely what Carr does not believe in his analysis. Not everyone has the time and technical knowledge to circumvent the payment barriers. Many would simply be prepared to invest small amounts to enjoy barrier-free access to information and other content - especially when it comes to renowned and trustworthy platforms and sources such as the New York Times. The best example of successful paid content is iTunes. While the music industry is struggling with piracy, Apple has been able to establish a successful online store where people are happy to pay for digital music. This is also about a kind of convenience, simple and uncomplicated availability.
Another example that is currently being used a lot to prove consumers' willingness to pay is the mobile sector - cell phones, various mobile devices and, last but not least, e-books. "In contrast to internet surfers, cell phone users are used to paying money to access information. This willingness to pay will also be transferred to mobile reading devices," Holger Kansky from the Federal Association of German Newspaper Publishers (BDZV) told Pressetext. The high demand for e-books during the Christmas period, especially in the USA, has shown that the success of mobile reading devices is no longer in doubt.
