How Italian Consumers Use The Net To Research And Buy Financial Products

The Internet's role as a distribution channel for financial products is small and growing slowly in Italy. In Q2 2008, only 10% of Italian adults researched and 3% bought a financial product online. These numbers have grown to 11% and 4% in Q2 2009, respectively. Italian Net users are most likely to research car insurance online, although only 11% do so. Simple and familiar products are best suited for online distribution. Italian online researchers and buyers tend to be educated men with high incomes who are self-directed, confident, and experienced Net users. To encourage researching and buying on their Web sites, Italian eBusiness executives should promote the Internet more extensively, design sites with customers' goals in mind, and offer interactive help.