Internet Latin America Market

There are around 122 millions of Internet users in Latin America, this number represents 9.3% of the total of the 100% users in the World. Brazil is the number one with 42.5 millions of users follow by Mexico with 23 millions of users and Argentina in the third place with 16 millions of users. This is a huge market which have been growth 590% from 2000-2007. Brazil, Mexico and Argentina are in the top 20 countries with most Internet users in the World.

This rapidly expanding audience, represents a sizable market opportunity for Internet companies choosing to focus their efforts on this region. But there are lot of challenges like more computer access to the mass, government and electronic payment methods restrictions, broadband access, etc.

According with Gonzalo Alonso, Google’s general manager for Spanish-speaking Latin America Latin America is a complex ecosystem, Alonso said. Besides getting more users online, there are four main challenges to growth in online marketing in general, and search marketing specifically:

• Payment methods: Credit card penetration is low, and the banking system is not ready to face the challenges presented online.
• E-commerce: While certain areas are growing faster than others, the Latin American market in general needs more e-commerce players.
• Building Web sites: Latin American businesses need to be educated about basic SEO, so that they can build sites that Google and other search engines can index. 4. Government participation: Google and other Internet companies want to help close the Internet gap, with money and resources, but they need the governments to step up and create programs and infrastructure for these companies to support.