The importance of the internet for purchase decisions is increasing evermore. More and more people inform themselves on the internet before buying computers, booking flights or trips or awarding jobs to craftsmen: 70% of the German population looks for information about products and services on the internet before the purchase. They get an idea of quality and value through customer reviews, tests and product comparisons. This is what the inter-branch organization Federal Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media (BITKOM) reports based on the latest data of the statistical agency Eurostat.

In comparison to other EU-countries, Germany is above the European average of 56%, but still far away from the leading nation, the Netherlands. 82% of the Dutch population informs themselves online about products and services, whereas the percentage in Southern Europe is far below 50%.

The importance of the internet as a source of information before a purchase decision is made.

Source: BITKOM/Eurostat 2012

Other consumer´s experiences are getting more and more important.

Other consumer´s experiences are getting more and more important for a purchase decision. Another survey of BITKOM says that by now every second internet user reads reviews from other customers before purchasing a product. Every third one states that other consumer´s opinions directly influence their purchase decision. Distinctly, less internet users are active themselves. Only every fifth of them publishes their own reviews of products or services.

Young adults inform themselves much more frequently than senior citizens do.

There are distinctive differences in browsing behavior between men and women, as well as individual age groups. Men (74%) inform themselves more often about products online than women (66%) do. In addition, young adults (25-34-year-olds: 89%) do so much more often than senior citizens (32% of the 65- to 74-year-olds).