Believe it or not there are still people out there who are skeptical that the Internet is having a real impact in the “yellow pages” space. New survey data — albeit from an online panel — should silence those skeptics:
Local online marketing firm WebVisible conducted an online survey this past August regarding Internet usage to find a local service business. The survey used Nielsen//NetRatings’ online panel and asked about behavior within the past 90 days. Among more than 2,800 consumer responses:
- 70% had used the Internet to search for a local service business at any point, and 46% had used the Internet to search one or more times for a local service in the last 90 days
- 89% found search to be “somewhat effective” or “very effective” in finding local services in their area.
- 68% said they would most likely use the phone number on the website to contact a vendor.
I’m going to drill down on this data after the holiday.
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Greg Sterling is the founding principal of Sterling Market Intelligence, a consulting and research firm focused on online consumer and advertiser behavior and the relationship between the Internet and traditional media, with an emphasis on the local marketplace.
