E-Commerce, Mobile Access Drawing Interest from Net Users
By Michael Pastore
As the official ISP of some 25 million subscribers, it's in America Online's best interest to see what Internet users do on the Net, think of the Net, and perhaps most importantly, have in store for the Net. For the third year, AOL had Roper Starch conduct its Cyberstudy of Internet users.
This year's study found that online e-commerce activities have exploded into the mass market, as millions of consumers discover services like shopping, banking, news, stocks, and health information. The study also shows a strong and growing demand for access to the online medium through cell phones, TVs, voice portals, and other non-PC devices.
According to the study, online commerce has become an everyday activity for millions of users. This year, more than half of the survey's respondents (56 percent) say that they currently shop online, nearly double the percent of those who did in 1998 (31 percent). Similarly, as the holiday season approaches, the percent of users who say they intend to shop online during that period has doubled from 14 percent in 1998 to 28 percent today.
"Two years ago, most online users were only dipping their toes in the electronic commerce pool, but this year, they're diving right in," said Marshall Cohen, America Online Senior Vice President of Brand Development. "With a majority of users saying they now shop online and 80 percent saying they research products online before buying something, we're seeing a true coming-of-age for electronic commerce."
In addition to shopping more frequently, consumers are also spending more when they shop online, with the percent of respondents who say they spent more than $500 online in the previous 3 months ...