Survey Finds Limited Marketing Impact From Social Web Sites

Social networking and community network Web sites like MySpace.com drive 12% of online shoppers to purchase more than they planned, according survey findings released in a report from JupiterResearch.

The report concluded that such Web sites have little overall impact on influencing online sales. It found for example that only 3% of consumers use blogs to shop, compared 53% of consumers who go directly to retail Web sites.

"From a branding and advertising perspective, social and community sites are garnering a great deal of online influence," said in a statement Patti Freeman Evans, senior analyst with JupiterResearch. "But when researching a product online, shoppers are looking for fundamental information, not entertainment or social interaction.