03-22-2006, 03:07 PM
Quote:comScore Networks today released
results from a new research study that confirms the importance of search in
influencing offline buying. The results show that 25 percent of searchers
purchased an item directly related to their query, and that of those buyers,
37 percent completed their purchase online. An even greater 63 percent
completed a purchase offline following their search activity.
The study, sponsored by Google, entitled "The Role of Search in Consumer
Buying" examined the impact of Web search (excluding comparison shopping
sites) on consumers' holiday-related purchases completed online and offline
during November and December 2005, across 11 product categories. The study
reflects the searching behavior of 83 million Americans who conducted more
than 552 million searches in the categories analyzed using one or more of the
24 leading search engines.
"The study confirms the important role of search in influencing consumers'
purchase behavior both online and offline," said James Lamberti, vice
president of comScore Search Marketing Solutions. "Importantly, it's clear
from this study that the influence of search on offline buying can often be
responsible for the major portion of the overall financial return from
investments in search marketing."
"We find that many multi-channel retailers already understand that search
has tremendous impact on both online and offline purchases," said John
McAteer, head of retail, Google. "This research helps quantify exactly how
influential search really is for the overall buying process."
Quote:Buyer Conversion Summary for Select Product Categories
Category Searched Buyer % of Buyers % of Buyers
Conversion Converting Converting
Offline Online
Average, All Categories 25% 63% 37%
Apparel & Accessories 43% 65% 35%
Toys & Hobbies 42% 88% 12%
Music/Movies/Videos 28% 83% 17%
Consumer Electronics 18% 84% 16%
Video Games & Consoles 17% 93% 7%
Jewelry & Watches 15% 75% 25%
full press release: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-21-2006/0004324063&EDATE=