The way we find information has seen a dramatic shift in the last 10 years. Where once a trip to the library or the use of a thesaurus was required, we are now able to find and access hundreds of points of information in a split second. Some quick facts about how users search for products and services:
- 86% of users report using the internet to find a local business;
- 74% say they used a search engine to do so, and;
- 80% say they researched a product/service online before making an offline purchase.
(Source: WebVisible and Nielsen 2007)
That means that, in 2007 and I have no doubt this has increased since then, 8 out of 10 searches for a local business or service started online – even for 'bricks and mortar' purchases.