Direct marketers on the Web have to balance personalized service with privacy protection to succeed, according to a new IBM study.
The study surveyed over 3,000 consumers in German, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Among the results the international study found were that consumers likely to shop online because of higher education, incomes, and technical comfort and knowledge were also likely to be concerned about online privacy to the point of taking action to protect personal information.
Nearly half the respondents in the U.K. and the U.S. and one-fourth of the respondents in Germany looked for privacy statements on Web sites. Some 63% have refused to give information to Web site when they believed their personal information would be compromised or when the policy is unclear. And two out of five respondents decided against purchasing something online because of their privacy concerns.
The IBM Multi-National Consumer Privacy Study was conducted by Louis Harris & Associates. A full summary of the results is available at www.ib.com/services/e-buisness/priwkshop.htm.
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