So glad to see you jump right in with a big question, lol! Welcome to the Clubs! Now for that question, help me understand a little better, if you will.

I assume you’re saying you found info about customer behavior online when a business is selling to customers who are NOT another business.

And you’re asking about when a business’ clients are other businesses or other business owners? And what the online behaviors of businesses/business owners are when they’re searching the net for product information or business service information they need for their own business? Not sure what you mean by “dependent bloggers” or “independent bloggers.” I’m guessing you’d like to know where a business owner or office administrator searches online for the info they need to run their business.

Regardless of the sites I normally visit for info, I ALWAYS start with a good keyword search in Google. The websites I visit will vary, but rarely would I ever go to a social site (except this one) to find info for anything. I follow the SERPs to do my research first, then call or email someone I trust for their recommendation. Or if it is social media/internet marketing related, I come to this forum for social media and IM questions to be answered, or go to the Offline Biz Forum or Warrior Forum or one of several private IM online groups I belong to for affiliate marketing questions.

But for capital investments in equipment or other costly purchases, I do the keyword SERP research first, then start emailing or calling trusted business associates for recommendations — always. I’d treat the “social networks” same as any other result in the SERPs… just another informational resource, not weighing any higher or less than other results.

Don’t know if that helps, but when money is at stake, I trust the bottom line and nothing else, so old school, old timely ways prevail with me. The internet has changed nothing but all the advanced research I can do beforehand. Now I will use the net to find vendor names, addresses, phone, email, and website info, and will go check each out after I get the recommendation from offline local sources, but still, that’s just research, too.

Robin Carlisle

thx @atlantarobin for the very good information.

Do you have an idea how I can get specific information about what the online behaviour is of the customers of GE? Do you think a survey would give good and especially, reliable information?