Recent research by advertising and public relations specialists, Richartz Fliss Clark & Pope reported the results of interviews with people who, in the preceding 60 days, used the Internet to research a product or service valued over $5,000. Some of the pointers may be useful to advertisers building web traffic and striving for repeat visitors.
Some of the findings included:
- 89% of those interviewed agreed that one of the advantages of the Internet was the ability to check out a company anonymously
- 69% felt the Internet is a way to avoid talking directly to a sales person
- 79& of the respondents said that after conducting Internet research, they would still prefer speaking with a sales person before making their purchase
- 21% of the respondents said they would provide personal data-name, address, and e-mail-when visiting a site
- 52% of the respondents said that they would move onto another site rather than provide personal data
- a small sample said they would be willing to reach the company through another, non-internet means
The survey reports that integrated marketing tactics like product literature and direct mail-may still be the most successful method to build business, and a telephone interview the best way to acquire information.