Lifestyle changes interest spring web surfers

With spring in full swing, American consumers are researching home improvements, new home and car purchases and spring/summer vacations.

by Kristina Knight

According to the latest numbers from online measurement firm comScore, real estate sites showed the largest traffic increases (13% overall) in March. MSN Real Estate gained 92% more traffic, Move Network garnered 21% more traffic and Homegain.com increased traffic by 15%.

After moving, home improvements showed an overall gain of 9% in March. The Meredith Corporation had the largest traffic increase (33%), followed by Lowes.com with 11%. Home Depot showed a traffic increase of 5%.

A new season apparently means new wheels for American consumers. Several automotive resource websites showed traffic increases, led by eBay Motors with a 21% increase in traffic. Kelly Blue Book increased traffic by 7% and AutoTrader had an increased of 4%.

Real estate has long shown heavier traffic in the summer months. While the kids are out of school, parents feel more comfortable with a move. The same can be said for car buying, which has also shown increases in buying for many years.

What this means for online marketers is that consumers are beginning to research those purchases earlier. So, advertising on real estate, home improvement or automotive websites in the months leading up to those purchases could net a better ROI.