Eye Focus August 2018 | Page 4

The Digital Advantage By Denis Langlois Canadians are among the most engaged Internet users in the world, according to a 2017 report by the Ottawa-based Canadian Internet Registration Authority. A whopping 90 per cent of Canadians use the world wide web regularly and nearly three-quarters of Canadians spend at least three to four hours online each day . While desktop computers are still the most popular way to access the Net, the use of mobile devices to browse the web has more than doubled since 2013, from 32 to 67 per cent. About 91 per cent of the Canadians who are online spend time checking or responding to e-mail, while half of Canadian Internet users spend their time shopping online. The CIRA report says 81 per cent of Canadians have purchased something online within the last 12 months. Clothing and other apparel, like eyewear, are the most commonly purchased items by Canadian consumers on the Internet. With Internet use continuing to rise, eyewear and eyecare companies are always working to improve and ex- pand their offerings online and find new ways to engage with and educate ECPs and consumers on the Net. Here are some examples of the newest ways that optical companies are using this digital advantage.