A new survey sponsored by RightNow Technologies and conducted by Harris Interactive(R) underscores a significant opportunity for online retailers. Nearly 50 percent of consumers (48%) say they have increased shopping online "a great deal" or "somewhat" in the past five years.

With a continued influx of shoppers moving to the Internet, retailers need to develop new strategies to meet the unique needs of online shoppers. According to the Online Retail Report, turning browsers into buyers requires immediate access to information throughout the entire purchase process. When customers can quickly and easily find answers to their questions, their satisfaction goes up and retailer's costs go down. 42 percent of consumers said they would prefer to be able to find the answers they need online by themselves if they had a question or needed help during an online shopping experience.

The Online Retail Report also reveals that segmented and tailored e-mail messages can be a key driver for sales and personalized follow up can turn a one-time customer into a loyal repeat customer. 68 percent of consumers said they were prompted to browse a Web site after receiving an email from a retailer. 73 percent of consumers said they would appreciate any post-purchase follow up.

"Providing shoppers with easy access to relevant information is critical to the success of any online retailer," said Greg Gianforte CEO of RightNow. "RightNow helps retailers provide consistently exceptional customer experiences and drive conversion rates by delivering tailored messages to the right shoppers at the right time."