The internet is exceptional at driving sales, whether the actual purchase happens online or off:
- Americans depend heavily on the web to find information about products and services
- Over three-fourths (78 percent) of those online use the web to shop for products and services before buying, and two-thirds (66 percent) make purchases directly online
- 80 percent of Americans online use search engines, and they frequently use them to research products they’re intending to purchase. Using search, marketers can reach highly interested prospects (“hand raisers”) with great efficiency
And when it comes to broadband, the numbers get even better: over 80 percent of broadband users buy products online:
For some industries -- like automotive -- the internet is the information resource of choice regardless of connection speed. According to J.D. Power and Associates, 89 percent of new-vehicle buyers use a search engine or portal at some point in their research, and 94 percent of used-vehicle buyers do so.
