INTELLIGENT ONLINE PURCHASING

New applications and services hint at the power of the Internet to bri ng buyers and sellers together. This article examines consumer buying behaviour. It shows how intelligent applications can help at each stag e, guiding a buyer from the point of realising ct. need, through a com plex purchasing decision, to the point toh ere the buyer can buy a pro duct with confidence. The roles of advertising, third party product re view and independent advice are examined within this new environment.