(openPR) - The ever-increasing cost of gasoline – the current American average is $4.11 per gallon – is encouraging more and more consumers to pick up their mouse, rather than pick up their keys and drive to a local retailer, according to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive. One-third of the 2,363 adults surveyed stated that the high price of gasoline was the determining factor for shifting their shopping habits from traditional brick and mortar locations to online e-commerce stores.

"Most consumers are aware of the sales tax savings (in most states) and the advantage of easy comparative pricing research on the Internet. But many respondents stated that lower prices also influenced them to shop online.

High on the list of survey respondents were these additional benefits:

The convenience of shopping from home, any time, day or night (61%)
Many online retailers offer free shipping promotions (55%)
In 2005, only 5% of those who participated in a Nielsen Homescan Survey said that higher gas prices influenced their decision to shop more on the Internet. That number tripled to 15% in December 2007.

Todd Hale, SVP of Consumer Shopping & Insights at Nielsen, said: “Unlike 2005 and 2006, gas prices didn’t drop in the fourth quarter of 2007 to enable consumers to do their typical holiday binge buying. That said, our research shows a jump in consumers shopping on the Internet as a way to deal with high gas prices. This should be a wake-up call for manufacturers and retailers alike to step up their ‘direct-to-consumer’ efforts and utilize the Internet to communicate directly with consumers in 2008, emphasizing value, variety and convenience”.

Federal tax rebate checks will also impact retailers. Forty-five percent of survey respondents plan to spend their rebate on retail purchases.

What this means is there is a big opportunity for companies to sell their products online, and advertise their companies in a variety of exciting new methods, such as PURLs, banners, pay per click, landing pages, microsites, social networking and adver-games; the opportunities are endless. If companies don’t jump on this e-commerce wave now, they will be left treading water while their competitors surf right past them.

Solar Velocity can work with you to obtain your Marketing and Technology goals with an e-commerce site that is out of this world. We will introduce you to a whole new marketing frontier, where traditional marketing and state-of-the-art online advertising work together to communicate your company’s message across the globe. Reach farther … with Solar Velocity. Contact us for a free estimate.

Solar Velocity
3300 Highlands Parkway
Suite 260
Smyrna, GA 30082
404.978.2240
info@solarvelocity.com

Solar Velocity (www.solarvelocity.com) is one of the fastest-growing interactive marketing and technology services firms in the Southeast. Founded in Atlanta, GA, Solar Velocity is an award-winning full-service marketing company that blends traditional marketing with new and interactive marketing, such as web design, Internet applications and web 2.0 online advertising. Solar Velocity’s innovative services produce measurable marketing campaigns and interactive software for medium and large businesses. Solar Velocity has been pioneering marketing and technology solutions to hundreds of companies since 1999. Clients include Cingular Wireless, AFLAC, Beazer Homes, BellSouth, BP and 99X.com.