PEW have a new study that focusses on three purchases – music, cellphones, homes, and offers some conclusions about the role of internet in those purchases.

Pew Internet: The internet and consumer choice

WASHINGTON DC – The internet plays an important role in how people conduct research for purchases, but it is just one among a variety of sources people use and usually not the key factor in final purchasing decisions.

The report predictably concludes that people use many methods to evaluate purchases, and that internet is a cornerstone of research, particularly where product complexity is involved.

One of the conclusions, participation, noted that it is rare for consumers to rate their purchases afterwards. That has consequences for many in terms of how they hoped to design the social web.