The internet is becoming increasingly important in the decision-making process of purchases, even if the web is not used for the final transaction, according to the Internet Q4 2001 report released by Continental Research this week.
The survey has found that even when people buy goods and services offline, there is a growing likelihood that the Net will have played a role in ‘stimulating the purchase’. More than two thirds of internet users – 68% or 12 million people – have used the web to research potential purchases in the last twelve months. Travel, holidays and flights are the most popular services.
| Items researched over internet in past 12 months |
| |
|
| |
Researched item |
| Holidays |
39% |
| Flight tickets |
35% |
| Entertainment tickets |
28% |
| Books/ Magazines |
24% |
| CDÂÂ’s |
23% |
| Financial Products/services |
18% |
| Computer games/ software |
17% |
| Train or coach tickets |
17% |
| VideoÂÂ’s/ DVDs |
15% |
| Financial products/ services |
13% |
| Cars |
12% |
| General gifts/ novelties |
10% |
| Supermarket Shopping |
11% |
| Houses |
7% |
| Flowers |
6% |
| Any item |
68% |
| |
|
| Source: Continental Research, 11.11.01 |
The survey also found that offline advertising is increasingly important in driving consumers to companies’ websites. “In recent years we have seen a rapid increase in the number of advertisements that feature a website address,” says the report. Overall, 59% of regular internet users have visited a website after having seen a URL on an offline ad. “The impact of traditional media such as magazines, newspapers and TV in attracting people to websites is clear,” says Continental.
| Ever visiting website as a result of advertising |
| |
|
| |
% visiting website as a result of seeing advertising |
| TV ad |
30% |
| National newspaper ad |
23% |
| Magazine ad |
22% |
| Local newspaper ad |
11% |
| Ad in a brochure or catalogue |
7% |
| Radio ad |
6% |
| Ad on direct mail/ leaflet/ bill received in post |
5% |
| Poster/ Billboard ad |
5% |
| Cinema ad |
3% |
| Ad on the wrapper of a product |
3% |
| Any advertising |
59% |
| |
|
| Source: Continental Research, 11.11.01 |
