Nielsen Online announced that 78 percent of adult U.S. online consumers made a purchase over the Web within the previous six months.
The number one online transaction category was travel, with 38 percent of adult online consumers making at least one travel purchase on the Web in the previous six months.
Credit card account management and home banking took the number two and three spots, with 36 percent and 35 percent of consumers conducting transactions, respectively.
This market study is based on a quarterly survey of approximately 36,000 U.S. Internet users age 18 and older.
"Most consumers see online retail as a primary benefit of the Internet," said Nachi Lolla, research director, commerce, Nielsen Online.
The sheer convenience of being able to comparison shop from your home or office has become all but irresistible. Possible early concerns about online security have been sufficiently addressed, and consistent on-time delivery and reasonable shipping costs have bolstered consumer confidence.
The challenge for retailers is no longer how to attract shoppers online, but how to differentiate their brand among all others. Heading into this competitive holiday shopping season, selection, price and customer service are the key areas retailers can shine.
Clearly, some retailer sites get more attention than others.
The data indicates that 53.4 million home and work Internet users visited at least one of the Walt Disney Internet Group-owned sites or launched a Walt Disney Internet Group-owned application during the month, and each person spent, on average, a total of 39 minutes and 22 seconds at one or more of their sites or applications.
