Online advertisers expect budget increases in 2004 and 2005

More than half (56%) of the marketers Millward Brown surveyed indicated that their total marketing and media budgets increased in 2004 over 2003, and 60% expect the upward trend to continue through 2005. Optimism about budgets swelled, with 81% of marketers with budgets above $400 mln expecting increases, compared to 44% of marketers with budgets under $25 mln.

Looking forward, the largest portion (28.2%) of survey participants named Web advertising as the online marketing application that would grow the most over the next five years. E-mail marketing was a strong second with 19.2% expecting the most growth, followed by search (16.3%), online promotions (13.9%), and affiliate marketing (9.8%). ITFacts

Consumers reluctant to buy financial products online

Research shows 87 per cent of consumers are using the internet to make purchases more now than they did five years ago - but reluctance remains in relation to financial products.

When it comes to buying financial products it seems people are more reluctant to go online. For example, only 23 per cent of those who have applied for a personal loan over the past five years did so on the internet. This reluctance appears to be based on several misconceptions: nearly a fifth (19 per cent) believe that they will get a better deal talking face to face with someone.

Over a third of us (38 per cent) buy something online every couple of weeks - and in the last year alone, the average consumer spent £770 on goods via the internet. MyFinances.co.uk