Online Ads Lead to Research, In-Store Spending: Study

Consumers who see online advertising tend to research purchases online, and are more likely to make an in-store purchase as a result of their actions, according to a new study.

Furthermore, they spend 41% more compared to those that haven’t been exposed to online advertising, according to research from Yahoo and comScore Inc.

The study examined the impact of search and display advertising for five major retailers. In addition to the above, it also found:

* Consumers exposed to these ads viewed an average of six more pages than those not exposed to the spots

* Nearly 90% o f the incremental sales generated by online advertising take place within the store. Consumers spend nearly six dollars for every dollar spent online.

* Integrated search and display campaigns resulted in deeper engagement among consumers exposed to both.

The study was conducted between April 2006 and January 2007 among more than 175,000 comScore panelists. It compared the purchasing behavior of those exposed to online ads with those not exposed.