Two-thirds of consumers in the Middle East use the Internet to research products and services prior to purchase, according to a new report.

Forty-eight per cent of them use the Internet occasionally, while 18 per cent do so regularly to research products, added the Mena Digital Consumer Report published by Econsultancy and Real Opinions.

The report, which is based on a survey of more than 2,000 consumers across different regions in the Middle East, also shows that a third of consumers are currently purchasing products online, and this includes 27 per cent who purchase occasionally and 6 per cent who regularly buy online.

Online consumers are paying for a wide variety of products. Flights are widely bought on the Internet in the Middle East, but other things paid for online include hotel reservations, utility bills and books.

Some 39 per cent of respondents currently do not buy online but report they intend to, indicating that consumer interest in e-commerce is set to grow in the region. Some of the barriers to buying online include a lack of trust in payment systems, unsuitable payment options and the lack of online retailers.

Econsultancy’s research manager Aliya Zaidi said: “The good news is that consumers want to purchase online and interest in e-commerce is rapidly growing, spelling out a clear opportunity for companies investing in digital channels. As more companies launch transactional online sites, consumers will become increasingly familiar with Internet shopping.”

Zaidi continued: “Consumers also cited poor website design, unreliable delivery and inability to process customer orders, so a focus on best practice can help to remove some of the barriers to buying online.”

The report also examines in detail how consumers use a wide range of online channels, including mobile, social media, search and email.

Consumers are using the Internet on their mobiles with 77 per cent of respondents carrying out social networking, and 70 per cent using email on their smartphone. Other activities carried out using smartphones include instant messaging, watching video clips and playing games.

“Investigating the results by country reveals how diversified Internet usage is across the Middle East,” said Dan Healy, CEO of Real Opinions.

“An interesting difference is where respondents access the Internet, with 34 per cent accessing via Internet cafés in Yemen while only 8 per cent use them in Bahrain as 18 per cent use free public Wi-Fi networks.  There clearly is a challenge for some countries to catch-up with others in the region,” he added.

The lack of trust in payment is cited as a barrier to buying online by 43 per cent of respondents. The second most cited issue is unsuitable payment options, mentioned by over a third (36 per cent) of respondents.

Social networking is the most popular online activity across the Middle East with 88 per cent of consumers reporting they use the Internet for this daily, the report said.

Facebook is overwhelmingly the most popular social media site in the Middle East, with some 98 per cent of respondents stating they use the site, according to the report. – TradeArabia News Service