A new study finds that majority of online adult shoppers who research products online before making a purchase decision rely on search engines more than any other tool to conduct their research.

Published: 12 Oct 2005

A new study finds that majority of online adult shoppers who research products online before making a purchase decision rely on search engines more than any other tool to conduct their research.

According to “How America Searches: Online Shopping,” a new study launched by icrossing and conducted by Harris Interactive, most online adults who buy online conduct research at least sometimes prior to completing a purchase.

icrossing chief executive officer Jeffrey Herzog said that the study clearly shows that the Internet is becoming the preferred purchasing channel for a variety of products and services among many of those who have tried purchasing them online.

“The smart marketers are adapting to the changing retail landscape and adopting proven search engine marketing strategies to connect with more qualified online shoppers and close more business,” said Herzog.

After interviewing a nationwide sample of 2,322 US adults aged 18 and over, it was found out that most adults who purchase items online (88%) conduct some sort of online research at least sometimes prior to completing their purchase.

Among other findings, search engines are the most popular online research tool, used by 67% of US adults who research online before making a purchase decision. It was found that 40% of those conducting online research go to search engines first. Nearly equal percentages of respondents who use search engines to research products online use them to find a website from which to buy or to investigate where to purchase their desired product (54% and 53%, respectively).

The other highlights included: Retailer/Seller websites are the second most popular online product research tool (used by 57% of online adults who research online prior to making a purchase decision); * Older online shoppers, those ages 55 and up, who use search engines to conduct research are more likely to click on sponsored links (75%) than their younger counterparts -- those between the ages of 18 and 54 (56%); 72% of online adults who identified Airline tickets/ Hotels/ Travel as a product they buy online said they make travel arrangements online more often than they do offline. 47% of online Tickets/Entertainment buyers said the same about tickets and entertainment and 45% of online Books/DVDs/Music buyers said the same about those items.