2 The Internet is used at every stage of the research process from the initial scan to the
more detailed comparison and final check before purchase.
3 Consumers are more informed from a multiplicity of sources; price is not exclusively
the primary driver.
4 Online information and experience (and modified brand opinions) also translate into
offline purchase.
There is also a wide variation in influence according to type of product, so it is impor-
tant to assess the role of the web in supporting buying decisions for a particular market.
Understanding the potential reach of a web site and its role in influencing purchase is
clearly important in setting e-marketing budgets. A different perspective on this is indi-
cated by Figure 2.17 which shows the proportion of people who purchase offline after
online research.
Calculating demand through search term volumes
Search engines are the primary method of finding information about a company and its
products. Research compiled by Searchenginewatch (www.searchenginewatch.com)
shows that over 90% of web users state that they use search engines to find information
online. Savvy e-marketers use tools provided by search engine service providers such as
Google (www.google.com), Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com) and Miva (www.miva.com) to eval-
uate the demand for their products or services based on the volume of different search
terms typed in by search engine users (see Chaffey (2006) for a listing of these key-
phrase analysis tools). Hitwise also provides this type of information – Figure 2.18 shows
CUSTOMERS
Figure 2.17Percentage (by category) who bought offline after researching online
Source: BrandNewWorld (2004)
Food/groceries 39
Financial products or services 40
Computer games 44
Health and beauty products 51
Clothing/accessories 53
Small home appliances 53
PC/Computer hardware 54
Consumer electronics 57
Large home appliances 57
Mobile phones 58
Home furnishings 62
Garden/DIY products 63
Cars 69
0 10203040
% (by category) who bought offline after research online
50 60 70 80