Men The Kings of Online Shopping?
Posted: 01st Nov, 2004 By: MarkJ
The latest research from domain registrar Nominet into the UK's online shopping habits has found that 78% of men now shop online compared to 73% of women:
The independent survey reveals that UK specific Internet addresses are the first port of call for the vast majority of Britons searching for information and purchases online. This highlights the strategic importance of registering local domain names for companies on the web. The findings show that almost half of Britons (47 per cent) feel reassured that they can contact a .uk company easily by other means, such as telephone or mail, because they have a UK presence. Over a third (34 per cent) also have their confidence in .uk websites boosted because they are expected to adhere to UK trade laws.
With 25.5 million (75 per cent) online Britons regularly purchasing on the web*, and a further 5.4 million (16 per cent) researching buying decisions online before buying in the shops, there are substantial revenue opportunities for businesses that have local domain names. Rising incidents of cybersquatting and registration disputes also clearly illustrate the growing brand value of domain names on Internet.
Lesley Cowley, Managing Director at Nominet UK, commented: "The web opens up a worldwide marketplace but this research shows how buyers tend to remain largely parochial in their actions. This highlights the importance, even for multinational companies, to have a localised domain name and the brand value attached for businesses competing for a share of fast-growing e-commerce revenues. Clearly the golden rule of 'think global, act local' is more than just a business cliché."
Londoners form the largest proportion of online shoppers (35%) in the UK compared to 26% in the South East England, 23% in the Midlands and 25% in Scotland. More Londoners than people elsewhere in the UK would like a '.UK' web address (17%), a family website, or other such personalised website, a figure only matched by respondents in the North (also 18%).
Figures from elsewhere in the UK were 16% in South East, 11% in the Midlands and Wales, and 14% in Scotland.
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