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Moms Are Super Surfers and Rely Heavily on Search for Purchases

Moms rely heavily on search engines for both online and offline purchases, and when coordinating travel and planning a host of other activities, according to a study unveiled by DoubleClick Performics this week. The “Searcher Moms - A Search Behavior and Usage Study” was conducted in cooperation with Microsoft and ROI Research.

“Of the nearly 1,000 moms surveyed, 89% use the Internet at least twice per day, and 90% have been using it for more than seven years,” said Stuart Larkins, vice-president of search for DoubleClick Performics. “A whopping 86% of respondents said search engines are the most efficient way to find information.”

Among the other search-related findings of the study:

• 89% always start with the same search engine.
• 82% modify the search if the initial results aren’t what they are looking for.
• Nearly two-thirds will view multiple results pages before abandoning a search.
• 40% will try a different search engine if their first search is unsuccessful.
• 57% search using primarily a browser toolbar.
• 70% use search engines to gather information before making any online purchase.

• 57% use search engines to gather information before making any offline purchase.
• 64% use search engines to find out where to purchase products offline.
• With regard to purchases made in the eight product categories included in the study…
  • 92% said search engines were helpful in providing valuable information prior to purchasing.
  • 79% said search engines were helpful in providing valuable information prior to purchasing offline specifically.
• Regarding consumer packaged goods, respondents reported using search engines to…
  • Compare prices (72%)
  • Find retail locations (71%)
  • Gather product information (71%)

“Manufacturers and marketers targeting this audience through any kind of advertising campaign should be sure to integrate a well planned search campaign: 64% of women reported using a search engine to gather more information after seeing an advertisement,” said Scott Haiges, President of ROI Research Inc.

Regarding moms’ media consumption habits, the study found that…

• Respondents spend the most time with the internet and television.

• Three-quarters spend one hour or more per day using both the internet and watching television.
• 76% spend one hour or more per day using the internet, and 36% spend three or more hours per day.

Microsoft’s Research Manager Peiwen Li (Pavan Lee) presented an overview of the study’s findings on August 20 at Search Engine Strategies, San Jose, as part of the “Searcher Behavior Research Update.”