The Internet plays the biggest role in consumers' purchasing decisions, according to a study released yesterday by DoubleClick.
DoubleClick's annual Touchpoints study, which includes a survey of consumers who bought items both offline and online in the past six months, said Web sites influenced consumers more than television ads in seven of 10 product categories.
The results “remind us that the Internet has maintained its seat at the table in the purchase process, relative to traditional marketing methods such as TV and print,” said Doug Knopper, senior vice president and general manager of online advertising at DoubleClick, New York.
Web marketing programs — a combination of Web advertising plus opt-in e-mail — also outrank TV ads in three categories: travel, banking and credit cards, and investments and mortgages.
The Internet is the most influential medium for travel buyers, the report said. Of consumers who purchased a travel service in the past six months, 67 percent cited one or more Internet vehicles (online travel Web sites, search engines, opt-in e-mail, Internet ads and other methods) as the touch point that “most influenced” their purchase decisions.
Thirty-four percent of buyers in investments and mortgages cited the Internet as most influential, as did 31 percent of automotive buyers and 29 percent of credit card and banking services buyers.
Christine Blank covers online marketing and advertising, including e-mail marketing and paid search, for DM News and DMNews.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters
