DIY ecommerce sites 'booming'

12/09/2008

Online retail sites relating to DIY and furniture have seen significant traffic increases in the last 12 months, new research has revealed.

Statistics released by Hitwise show that visits to such ecommerce websites rose by 20.5 per cent in the last year, compared with a decline in traffic to property and estate agent sites of 35.2 per cent.

According to Hitwise UK research director Robin Goad, this indicates that the credit crunch is having an adverse impact on the property sales market while prompting more consumers to stay in their current homes and make improvements to add value.

The figures also have implications for search engine marketing and optimisation, with Mr Goad noting that 'how to' queries relating to specific types of DIY work have risen by a quarter over the last 12 months, with 'how to plaster' seeing the biggest increase.

Retail ecommerce sales rose by 11.3 per cent month-on-month to reach £4.8 billion in the UK during July, according to the latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.