Robert Blaise

According to JupiterResearch, more than 77% of online shoppers seek customer product reviews before making a purchase decision. To meet this demand, manufacturers are increasingly adding ratings and reviews to their branded eCommerce sites. For example, clients in the competitive consumer electronics vertical currently account for more than 75% of all U.S. sales.These manufacturers are highly successful at generating reviews on their branded sites, providing them with an extensive archive of user-generated content that can be used in direct and channel marketing efforts. Companies such as Amazon have leverage the power of the consumer review and translate that into a powerful confidence tool for potential buyers.

Online retail spending in October grew by only 1 percent compared to October 2007, representing the lowest monthly growth rate since 2001, according to a report from comScore who began tracking ecommerce seven years ago. The report said that the softness in online retail spending was due in part by negative spending growth in households earning less than $50,000 a year.