Harris Interactive recently conducted a study of American’s Internet activities.  This study, commissioned by the marketing firm icrossing, was the result of interviews with more than 2,100 adults.  Here are the study’s findings:

What are people doing online?

• Send/read emails (87%)
• Just surf (55%)
• Search (53%)

Take-away:
More than half of the folks said they conducted searches when they went online.

What are people searching?

• Research specific topic (88%)
• Get directions/map (75%)
• Look for information on current events (64%)
• Surf (“Trawling”) (62%)
• Use Internet instead of phone (54%)
• Shopping (51%)
• Look for entertainment (47%)

Take-aways:
More than half of the folks search Internet instead of using phone books or yellow pages, and more than half ot the folks search for products and services online.

What are they researching?

• Hobbies (men 64%, women 55%)
• Health & medical (men 35%, women 61%)
• Career & job (28%, men 18-24 36%, women 18-24 41%)

What search engine do they use?

• Google (49%)
• Yahoo (30%)
• MSN (16%)
• A OL (11%)
• Ask Jeeves (3%)
• Other (4%)

Let your finger do the walking:

• People’s addresses/phone numbers (63%)
• Specific businesses (mostly local) (58%)
• Retailers/stores (38%)

Take-away:
Almost 60% of the folks search information on (mostly local) businesses.

All about the deal

• Compare prices (80%, men 83%, women 77%)
• Research products (men 75%, women 65%)

Surprise! men hunt for bargains more than women do!

Difference between paid and natural search engine listings?

• Know the difference (44%, men 53%, women 34%)

For more information, please see the press release, including the instruction on how to get a full copy of the report.