What they found gives online marketers great insight into those they are targeting and the environment in which they exist. E-greeting cards were also popular, with 32 percent of the online population using them. Consumers appear to view the Web as a communication hub, not a high-tech strip mall. Americans use the Internet to connect with others, not buy rotary saws or encyclopedias. Only 24 percent of Internet users purchased gifts online and only 21 percent did most or all of their shopping on the Net.
Privacy is also still a huge roadblock for online commerce.
Many people chose not to buy online, which is not to say they stayed off the Net. Pew researchers found 45 percent of Internet surfers used the Web for browsing and gift ideas. Thirty-percent searched for price comparisons. The message for marketers is obvious. While online retailing continues its march toward maturation, online marketing may be best suited in driving offline purchases.