C I Host Surveys 40,000+; Tracks Holiday Internet Shopping Trends [December 15, 2004]

DALLAS, Dec 15, 2004 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- C I Host, a global leader in Web hosting and software development, today released results of a comprehensive survey of 200,000 online clients, indicating a happy holiday for e-commerce.

More than 20 percent of those surveyed plan to spend more money this year. The C I Host survey results also showed that 82 percent of respondents will shop online this holiday season -- an 18 percent increase from one year ago.

"Our results are probably even more positive than what we have seen in other media," said Christopher Faulkner, CEO of C I Host. "But understandably -- our 'population' is comprised of e-commerce business owners, entrepreneurs and definitely early adopters."

More than 17 percent of the thousands queried submitted responses (an impressive response rate for any direct marketing project and a huge sample by marketing research standards). The questionnaire monitored buying trends, budgets and the hottest holiday items.

"To no one's surprise, digital cameras topped the list again, for at least the third year in a row," Faulkner said. "I must say, our e-Memories On The Web program -- which offers multi-media solutions for digital photography -- is looking better and better."

Forty-five percent said digital cameras or camcorders were number one on their lists. MP3 players were second, at 23 percent. Handheld devices were listed by 18 percent of respondents, and plasma screens and LCD monitors were next, at 14 percent.

Overall, 96 percent of the survey group previously made purchases on the Internet, including: electronics, 41 percent; clothing, 27 percent; home furnishings, 16 percent; and jewelry, 16 percent.

About C I Host:

C I Host (http://www.cihost.com), based in the Dallas/Fort Worth market, is a global Web hosting and Internet solutions provider serving 210,000 individual consumers and businesses in 190 countries worldwide. C I Host's headquarters and Network Operations Center are in Bedford, Texas, and the company operates additional diverse data centers in Los Angeles and Chicago.

SOURCE C I Host

D. Kent Pingel, Public Relations Director of C I Host,
+1-888-868-9931, ext. 7006, or kentp@cihost.com

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