Online Ads Help Shoppers Save

Printable offers and tips get most attention - Reprinted from eMarketer

Leading economic indicators are looking up, but consumers are keeping a frugal mindset for 2010, according to research from About.com.

The “2010 Consumer Study,” which polled predominantly female (71%) US online buyers, found that 55% of respondents claim to be more fiscally responsible as a result of the recession, while a further 29% don’t believe hard economic times are over yet. The vast majority are planning to stick to the basics and purchase only what they need or can get a deal on. And 54% say this will lead them to spend more time online either researching before an offline purchase or searching for coupons, sales and sweepstakes.

Overall, this will lead to more online shopping for 64% of those surveyed, though most plan to make the same number of online purchases they did in 2009. More than one-half of online buyers found online ads helpful when researching and shopping online.

Ways that Online Ads Help When Researching/Shopping Online According to US Internet Users*, January 2010 (% of respondents)

While one-third of the online buyers who were aided by ads said they helped them save money, the majority appreciated online ads for informing them about a product or service previously unknown.

Those priorities were flipped when respondents were asked what types of ad they found most helpful, with a plurality concerned most with printable coupons and offers.

Most Helpful Type of Online Ads According to US Internet Users, January 2010 (% of respondents)

Printable tips were also most likely to earn the notice of US Internet users, cited by 60% as the most attention-grabbing kind of online advertisement. Video ads came in a distant second, at 19%.