• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, February 4, 2005

Two Thirds of Online Retail Purchases Made Using Broadband

Nielsen//NetRatings recently reported that 69 percent of retail purchases transacted online were conducted via a broadband connection, compared to 31 percent transacted via narrowband or dial-up access during November 2004.

The finding was derived from the new Nielsen//NetRatings MegaView Online Retail service, which tracks online consumer retail activity and purchasing behavior and offers marketers competitive benchmarking, dollar spending insights and buyers' conversion rates.

This custom research from MegaView Online Retail found that broadband consumers spend on average $158.21 per person, 34 percent higher than the $117.89 average spent by narrowband users. In addition, the conversion rate for broadband users reached 26 percent, compared to the conversion rate of narrowband users at 21 percent.

Heather Dougherty, senior retail analyst, said "With 55 percent of online surfers utilizing broadband and broadband users spending more money online than narrowband surfers, there should be less concern about alienating the narrowband shopper. Retailers (should) rethink their online business strategies to integrate rich media into Website design and advertising campaigns."

The latest findings showed that broadband users connected to the Internet 34 percent more times (59) than narrowband users during November. In addition, broadband users visited online retail Websites more frequently, and spent more time online.

Retail Sales and Conversion Rates, November 2004

	Avg Online $ Spend Per Person	Shopper/Buyer Conversion Rate
Broadband	$158.21	26%
Narrowband	$117.89	21%

Source: Nielsen//NetRatings MegaView Online Retail Custom Data, January 2005

Site Visits, November 2004

	Avg Web Connects	Online Retail Visits	Time Spent Online
Broadband	59	18	22hrs:08min:24sec
Narrowband	44	14	17hrs:45min:28sec

Source: Nielsen//NetRatings MegaView Online Retail Custom Data, January 2005