Survey: Internet Use Growing in Building Market

Survey: Internet Use Growing in Building
Market

Washington, DC An increasing number of home builders and other
building product specifiers are now using the Internet as part of
their effort to market their products and services, as well as to
obtain building materials, information and labor, according to a
newly-released survey by the National Association of Home
Builders.

The survey found that more than 90% of the home builders,
remodelers and specialty trade contractors polled this spring by
the Washington, DC-based NAHB have a personal computer, and more
than 80% have access to the Internet. 

Findings in the NAHB survey included:

• More than 50% of the businesses with access use the Internet
  daily, while another 24% use it two or three times a week, 10% use
  it once a week and 9% use it once or twice a month (see Graph
  1).
   
• Reported use of the Internet is apparently more frequent among
  larger companies, although the differences between larger and
  smaller companies are not significant.
   
• Remodelers report slightly more frequent Internet use than home
  builders or subcontractors.
   
• More than half of the survey’s respondents reported they use
  the Internet to obtain information about building materials, while
  over 40% say they use the Internet to obtain financial and economic
  data, and to monitor financial investments. About one-third of the
  businesses surveyed said they use the Internet to search for
  construction-related services, 18% use it to purchase construction
  equipment and tools, and 11% use it to buy building materials and
  supplies (see Graph 2).