Shoppers may not rely on Web
When it comes to buyers' decision-making process, the Web may still take a backseat to good old-fashioned human interaction. Ashley Milne-Tyte looks into a report that says the Web may not be crucial for all shopping.
Computer user views website (Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images)
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Scott Jagow: When it comes to shopping on the Internet, the Web may be overrated. Ashley Milne-Tyte has this report.
Ashley Milne-Tyte: Some people can barely remember research before the Internet.
The Pew Internet Project looked at how people use the Web to shop for music, a cell phone and a home, and how much all that clicking effects their eventual decision. John Horrigan is an associate director with the Project:
John Horrigan: We found that on the order of 10 percent of people in each category said that the Internet had a major impact on their final purchase decision. And that was surprising for a good like music, where there's just a wealth of music information online and the chance to sample.
Horrigan says even most respondents in the Facebook generation said they find out about music through radio or TV, or offline friends. He says people still crave the human touch in the form of in-store sales advice, for example.
As for feedback posted by consumers, a third of us use those comments to help us make a decision, but only about 6 percent of us bother to post our own critiques.
I'm Ashley Milne-Tyte for Marketplace.
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