In terms of online buying habits, consumers have always been a few steps ahead of big business. With that in mind, the public's current mindset should at least offer a glimpse into how comfortable manufacturers will be testing the online waters down the r
According to a recent study by JupiterResearch, consumers are becoming increasingly savvy in their approach to online shopping, discovering new sources of products, pricing and information. Look for marketers to respond by deepening their customer engagements, broadening online marketing portfolios and creating a richer shopping experience, according to Steve Denton, president of LinkShare Corp., an e-commerce consultant and sponsor of the study.
95 percentage of high spenders (defined as consumers who spend at least $2,203 annually online) who look to multiple Web sites when researching a product purchase
20 percentage of high spenders who say they don't trust just a single site
87 percent who visited multiple sites before making their most recent online purchase
36 percent who say they buy offline even though they use online social/community sites to make their decisions
42 percent who say consumer product reviews make social/community sites more useful when researching and buying online
