Online shoppers researched product information 11 percent and 27 percent more on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday respectively than they did on Cyber Monday, according to research from WebCollage.

The average amount of time shoppers spent researching specific products online increased 16 percent when compared to the time they spent researching specific products in 2006.

"The increase in online product research emphasizes just how important it is for both manufacturers and retailers to provide comprehensive product and brand information to meet the demands of today's web savvy consumers," said Jed Alpert, Vice President of Marketing for WebCollage.

"Customers are clearly spending more time on retail websites trying to learn everything they can about a product before they purchase it online or in a store."

Along with online shoppers researching specific products on Web sites, they are also visiting retailer's "shop-by-brand" sections for guided advice on how to choose the right product within a specific brand. Close to 50 percent of holiday traffic went to brand stores on retail Web sites.

"Nearly half of our consumer research traffic goes to the brand store sections of retail websites versus specific products.  This means that manufacturers that do not have a comprehensive and complete brand store are missing out on an opportunity to influence a significant portion of their prospect base," Alpert added.

"Only by understanding retail website traffic patterns and integrating their complete brand story online can manufacturers truly leverage the power of their offline marketing that creates consumer interest in their specific brand."

Holiday Shopping