Study: Consumers more engaged, less understanding of online business

Some interesting findings from the 2012 Online User Behavior and Engagement Study:

• 70% know how to 'post to a wall' on Facebook
• 54% know how Facebook makes money
• 22% say they click search ads overall, 29% of Southerners click paid search ads, 19% of Westerners and 17% of Midwesterners

"This Study illuminates the distinct differences between online behavior and understanding based on various demographics; smart marketers will consider these and other behaviors when creating their strategies to engage the right user at the right time," said Keith Wilson, vice president, agency products at The Search Agency. "And, as users get more social, their intent will become even more visible to marketers - these insights can be used to construct the most personalized and, ultimately, successful online marketing strategies."

The study further found that more than one-third of those surveyed believe search engines are selling user information to marketers; just under one-third (29%) say companies 'pay dues' to use search and 20% say users must pay for 'premium search features'.

The study underlines the fact that, in some cases, brands and marketers need to be more forthcoming about how they make money. And what they're doing with personal information. While many brands have a privacy policy, it may not hurt to reiterate that policy in the New Year so that consumers don't worry about how or if their personal information will be used by a business.

Tags: business practices, Harris Interactive, online business, The Search Agency