Brafton has reported that internet ads are a top focus for marketers this year, and new data suggests online advertisements might pay off. ComScore's latest retail ecommerce report reveals that online spending hit record-breaking heights last quarter.
Online retail ecommerce sales reached an estimated $43.4 billion in Q4 2010, reports comScore. This demonstrates an 11 percent increase over the previous year.
Though the average purchase amount remained roughly the same as in Q4 2009, comScore says the number of online buyers increased. Eighty-four percent of U.S. internet users conducted an online transaction, up from just 78 percent the year before.
Internet marketers might expect ecommerce revenue to continue to climb. According to comScore, this is the fifth consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth, and chairman Gian Fulgoni expects that brands will see continued double-digit growth rates in 2011.
The report also brings good news to smaller businesses. In Q3 2010, the top online retailers accounted for 69.9 percent of all dollars spent on the web, but last quarter, they accounted for just 68.4 percent of online spend. This is “an indication that small and mid-sized retailers are also rebounding from the recession,” says comScore.
Marketers preparing paid search campaigns might want to focus their ad dollars on Google. A recent report from User Centric reveals that Google ads are more effective than Bing ads. At the same time, it's worth noting that the report found organic results are most effective in engaging consumers, so SEO may be the way to go.
