The majority (84%) of Americans say online customer reviews have an influence on their decision to purchase a product or service, according to a new survey from Opinion Research Corporation.
Only 28 percent of respondents said they had posted their own feedback online while 66 percent had checked some type of online review forum when looking to purchase a specific brand of product or service.
More Americans Watching Online And Mobile Video
Watching video on television, online and mobile devices continues to increase and has reached new levels, according to Nielsen.
In its fourth quarter "A2/M2 Three Screen Report," Nielsen found that the average American watches 151 hours of TV per month, an all-time high. Americans who watch video over the Internet consume another 3 hours of online video per month and those who use mobile video watch nearly 4 hours per month on mobile phones and other devices.
Americans Would Give Up Sex For Internet Access
Most Americans find Internet access essential to daily life, with some favoring it over TV and having sex, according to a survey by Harris Interactive done on behalf of Intel.The survey found that the majority of Americans (65%) feel they cannot live without Internet access. In addition 71 percent said it is important or very important to have Internet-enabled devices, such as laptops, netbooks and mobile Internet devices that offer them updates on important issues including the economy.
Online Threats Concerning More Americans
Internet users are becoming increasingly concerned about online threats such as viruses, spam and identity theft, according to survey by the American Consumer Institute.Consumers also report significant worry that their privacy might be invaded by programs that track and record which Internet sites they visit.The majority (74%) of those surveyed said they were "very concerned," about identity theft, compared to 68 percent who indicated great worry about identity theft in a similar ACI survey from 2006.
Americans Favor Businesses With A Social Media Presence
More than half (60%) of Americans interact with companies on a social media Web site, and one in four interact more than once a week, according to a new study by Cone LLC on social media.The majority (93%) of Americans believe a company should have a presence in social media, while 85 percent believe a company should not only have a social media presence but also interact with its customers via social media.
Americans Anxious Over Online Privacy
The majority of Americans are concerned about what is being done with their personal information online according to a new poll from Consumer Reports.The poll found that 82 percent of people are concerned about their credit card numbers being stolen online, while 72 percent are concerned that their online activity is being tracked and profiled by companies.
More Americans Banking Online
An estimated 63.1 million U.S. households are now doing their banking online according to a survey from CheckFree.Security concerns about online banking decreased from 17 percent in 2007 to 13 percent in the latest survey. Overall, online security was third among barriers to online banking this year compared to its number-one spot in 2007.
More Than Half Of Americans Have Broadband Connections
Over half (55%) of all adult Americans now have a high-speed Internet connection at home, according to a new survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.The percentage of Americans with broadband has increased from 47 percent in early 2007 and 42 percent in early 2005. Of those who access the Internet at home, 79 percent have a high-speed connection and 15 percent use dialup.Adults who live in households whose annual incomes are less than $20,000 a year, home broadband adoption was at 25% in early 2008, compared to 28 percent in 2007.
Close To Half Of Americans Favor Internet Regulation
Close to half (49%) of all Americans think the federal government should regulate the Internet the same way it does radio and television according to a new Rasmussen Reports survey.Thirty-five percent are opposed to having the Internet regulated by the federal government and 16 percent are undecided.The majority (73%) of Americans believe that it should be a crime to harass someone on the Internet and 13 percent disagree.
42% Of Americans Play Games Online
Participation in gaming increased in 2007 over 2006, from 64 percent of the population to 72 percent of the population according to a new report from The NPD Group, "Online Gaming 2008."More than half play games online, with 90 percent of online gamers saying they use a PC to play games and 19 percent said they use a video game console with 3 percent saying they use a cell phone.The number of online gamers relative to the total U.S. population is 42 percent so far this year, up from 40 percent in 2007.