New research has found that UK internet users are spending less of their online time shopping and more time browsing online media.
During March 2009, 8.6% of all UK internet visits went to online retail websites and 9.8% to social networking websites, according to research from online intelligence firm Hitwise.
Robin Goad, Hitwise’s director of research, said: “The growth of social networking, online video and the continuing popularity of news websites has meant that an increasing proportion of consumer’s online time in the UK has been devoted to online media.
“Historically this has gone hand in hand with the growth of online retail, but over the last 3 months online retailers seem to be really suffering from the economic downturn for the first time. Traffic to online retailers always peaks over the Christmas period, then declines during January and February, but picks up in March.
“Last year UK internet traffic to online retailers increased by 0.8% between February and March, but this year it fell by 0.1%. The decline between December and February was also greater this year.”
The amount of traffic that online retailers receive from paid search – ie from sponsored or paid for links on search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, Live and Ask – has fallen over the past 12 months. During March 2009, 8.9% of all UK internet visits to online retailers came from a paid search listing, down from 10.1% in March 2008.
The proportion of traffic that online retailers receive from social networking websites – such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and YouTube – increased from 5.2% in March 2008 to 7.1% in March 2009.
Unsurprisingly, comScore figures published in January showed that the Christmas shopping season brought increased traffic to UK online retail sites, with the jewellery/luxury goods/accessories category experiencing the strongest growth (see Christmas sees increased traffic to UK online retail sites).
Elsewhere, Choicestream’s 2008 Personalisation Survey of US consumers found that US retailers’ most attractive prospects – those who spend the most money and shop most frequently – are more likely to click on personalised ads than non-personalised ads (see New survey finds personalised ads attract high-value customers).
The research found that 39% of consumers are more likely to click on an ad if it is personalised; of those who shop online at least several times a month that number climbs to 58%.
