1st In Video - Music World, Inc.

A recent Hitwise report showed that search engines account for 25% of visits to US shopping sites. Google alone accounts for almost 16% of visits to US shopping sites. In the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, Hitwise has Your Electronic Warehouse receiving 46% of it’s traffic from search engines. MySpace’s partnership with Google seems to be working well. MySpace accounted for 3.2% of visits to shopping sites.

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Hitwise: Shopping, Search, and MySpace
eMarketer: Search Fueling Retail Site Traffic

Currently in the US, almost 3 in 4 households have internet access, and another three-quarters of those are using broadband. Broadband access is currently not available to only 7% of US households. It is projected that by 2012, broadband usage will grow from 50 million households to as high as 90 million households. That will make broadband penitration at 94% in 2012.

Read Full Story: US Broadband Fulfills Need for Speed - eMarketer

Internet Retailer recently published their 2007 Edition of the Top 500 Guide which ranks Internet Retailers by their 2006 sales.  1st in Video - Muisc World was ranked at #435 and listed as one of the top 50 fastest growing e-retailers. On average e-commerce retailers had a 25.9% increase from 2005.  In 2006, online retail sales reached $136.2 billion.  The Inernet Retailer Top 500 companies’ sales totaled $83.6 Billion, which was 61% of all retail sales. Read Full Story: The Top 500 Guide

iTunes podcast downloaders are wealthier and are more educated than the average Internet User.

Read More: eMarketer: Podcast User Demographics

A February Hitwise study showed slightly more women than men visit travel websites and that the three biggest age groups that visit travel websites are 35-44 (23.6%), 55+ (22.56%), and (25-34) 25.35%.

 Read More: eMarketer: Online Travel and Demographics 

Interesting PayPal and eBay facts reported at eBay Live in June 2006:

• PayPal has 105 million accounts (More than Amex & Discover Combined)
• $1.5 Billion of stored value is turned every 3 weeks
• PayPal provides the payment mechanism for 67% of eBay transactions
• 15% of all eBay transactions cross international borders

Read More: Skype Journal: eBay, PayPal, Skype by the Numbers

A recent Neilsen/NetRatings report showed broadband usage up 13% from 2005. In November 2006, 78% of active Internet users had a broadband connection. The report also showed that broadband users spend 33% more time online than narrowband (dial-up) users.

Read More: InternetRetailer.com - 78% of U.S. active home Internet users connect via broadband

The Consumer Electronics Association and search engine Yahoo sponsored a joint study this summer that showed 77% of Consumer Electronics (CE) purchases are researched online. The average time spend in online research was 12 hours and this number increased as the price of the item increased. Customers used the Internet to research products due to the wider variety of products and the ease of comparing prices at different stores.

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InternetRetailer.com - 77% of consumers research electronics purchases online
CEA Press Release: MOST OF CONSUMER ELECTRONICS PURCHASES INFLUENCED BY INTERNET, FINDS CEA-YAHOO! STUDY

At the 2006 Internet Retailer Conference, John Miniati of comScore Networks Inc gave a presentation on “e-Life”, how consumer’s online and offline activities integrate. The average shopper has been online for 5 or more years and is more educated customer now more than ever. Online search can account for 60-90% of offline sales, depending on the category. Retailers and Manufacturers who only consider the online value of their online customers are undervaluing them. Read the presentation summary: It’s an e-life as consumers’ online and offline activities integrate

A recent study by Yahoo and OMD entitled “Long and Winding Road: The Route to the Cash Register”, showed that the Internet is the most trusted shopping information source (54%), followed by magazines (34%) and TV (23%).  Customers use the Internet to find trusted sources of information and dependable customer reviews.  The Internet helps to narrow down options before the purchase either online or offline.

Read More: Yahoo! and OMD Study Reveals Online Research Plays Critical Role in Consumers’ Offline Purchases; Online Price Comparisons and ”Communal Shopping” Create Trust and Drive Decision Making