Online Advertising Trends
Survey Says Consumers Are Personalizing their Internet Viewing
Oct 5, 2007
Online consumers are much more sophisticated in their use of the Internet than most marketers realize, according to a recent study released by Avenue A /Razorfish, one of the world’s leading Internet advertising firms.
The survey of 475 active online consumers revealed what the company called "sweeping changes" in the behavior of Internet consumers.
Authors of the report said those changes reflect the "personalizing" of the Internet and added that marketers should adjust their advertising to fit that growing interactive mode.
Nine-tenths Rely on Internet for Current News
The survey report, which is available on the Avenue A/Razorfish blog, indicated that:
- 91% of consumers rely on the Web to get current news or information;
- About 60% personalize their computer home pages by adding such features as scheduled page updates and specific content feeds or RSS (really simple syndication);
- Nearly 70% read blogs regularly;
- Forty one percent either have their own blog or post content frequently to other blogs;
- About 67% regularly watch videos on YouTube or similar sites;
- Forty-two percent purchase music online;
- About 85% have watched an online movie preview before going to a theater to see the film;
- 71% have watched a TV show online;
Internet Usage Cutting Into Print and TV Audiences
The study concludes that the increased online activity is cutting significantly into the reading of newspapers and magazines and the viewing of television.
About 55% of the survey respondents said "user-generated reviews and ratings" are the biggest factor in helping them to make buying decisions. Following that same theme, 62% said they have made purchases based on online third-person recommendations such as those found on Amazon.com. Even more, 72%, said they found such services helpful.
However, only 30% said they start their Internet shopping at either an eCommerce site such as Amazon or at a website maintained by an established brick-and-mortar retail store such as Macy’s. Only 17% said they seek the website of a prominent brick and mortar retailer such as Best Buy.
More than half (54%) said they start their shopping experience at a general search engine.
Only 38% said that price is the most important criteria in deciding where to purchase online.
The authors of the report said marketers should personalize their Internet advertising by making their content more portable through such features as RSS and by encouraging consumers to rate and review products. They recommended "a less central" role for websites and more use of Internet search features, blogs and the so-called "social media sites."
They also suggested greater use of web video but a wait-and-see approach to the use of mobile media such as cells phones and the iPhone.
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