The current big story is about the demise of Internet companies (yes, over 200 Internet companies went down in 2000, according to Webmergers.com). But one story that drifted quickly off the main pages is about what Internet consumers did this past holiday season.

For those interested in e-marketing, this is important.

PEOPLE ARE SOCIAL CREATURES

In case you didn't read it, the Pew Internet Project reported that people like to socialize more than buy. That's right. The Internet is more of a social phenomenon than an economic one.

The universal impulsive nature of consumers, as predicted and expected by the online advertising industry and many retailers, is evidently not coming to pass.

As we've often said on this site, the Internet might change many things in life, but people are still people and their habits and basic social needs change slowly. You can see this in the fundamental insights from the Pew project.

In short, people like person-to-person communication, they seem to like seeing products, they like to browse in a similar fashion to the offline world, they even like to purchase products in offline stores, and convenience is still a big deal with online shoppers.

So, in case you missed the details, we list below the main insights and we suggest you read them for yourself at the Pew website. They provide the basis for most of the lessons for marketing on the web.

Epiphany 1: People used the Internet more to socialize and celebrate during the holiday season than they used it to buy gifts. The Internet is really a means for gathering and disseminating information rather than for buying stuff.

Epiphany 2: Browsing is more important than buying. Yes, people like to browse (just like in the offline world) and find the net useful for getting product ideas.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Allen Weiss

Allen Weiss is MarketingProfs founder and CEO, positioning consultant, and emeritus professor of marketing. Over the years he has worked with companies such as Texas Instruments, Informix, Vanafi, and EMI Music Distribution to help them position their products defensively in a competitive environment. He is also the founder of Insight4Peace and the former director of Mindful USC.