Most online shoppers use search to research before buying, new study says

88% of adult online shoppers conduct some form of online research before making a purchase on the web, and Internet search engines, used by 67% of these shoppers, are the most popular research tool, a new study from icrossing Inc. says.

The study, “How America Searches: Online Shopping,” notes that 40% of adult consumers who conduct online research before buying use Internet search as their first form of research. The study is based on interviews with a nationwide sampling of 2,322 adults aged 18 and over. It was conducted for icrossing by Harris Interactive Aug. 26-30.

The second-most popular research tools for online shopping are retail web sites, which are used for research by 57% of adult consumers before making an online purchase, the study says. It also notes that 75% of online shoppers aged 55 and over who use search engines are likely to click on sponsored links in search results, compared to 56% among adults aged 18-54.

In another search study, Yahoo Search Marketing, the paid search unit of Yahoo Inc., identifies search habits of consumers related to important life stages, such as becoming a parent, moving to a new city and retiring. Yahoo’s “Life Series” study found that 86% of expecting parents use the web to get information related to having children, compared to 68% for books and 37% for magazines.

The Yahoo study, released Oct. 12, also notes that 81% of college students rate Internet search as their best source of information, compared to 36% for newspapers and 24% for TV.

A third study on Internet search, released last week from comScore Networks Inc., Yahoo and Media Contacts, found that 35 million U.S. consumers used an Internet search engine to initiate travel planning in April; consumers among that group who made an online travel purchase spent about $6.6 billion during the subsequent eight weeks, the study says.