The state of internet marketing research - A review of the literature and future research directions

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine the internet marketing literature to determine how internet marketing research has evolved in terms of quantity, content, and publication outlets. In addition, the paper identifies important trends in the internet marketing literature and provides a view of the research gaps and expected topical areas of interest. Design/methodology/approach - A content analysis was performed on approximately 1,400 internet-related marketing articles identified by searching the ABI/INFORM database. A total of 902 peer-reviewed internet marketing articles appearing in nearly 80 different journals were identified. The study revealed that 60 percent of the internet research had been published in the last three years. The three most researched internet marketing areas were consumer behavior, internet strategy, and internet communications. The topics with the highest growth over the past two years were research issues and consumer search. Over the past 15 years, 14 articles appeared in the top three marketing journals. Findings - The article identified important trends in the internet marketing research to provide future direction, particularly in terms of research gaps and expected topical areas of interest. The three major research areas that are likely to grow in the next few years are: consumer trust pertaining to the internet, the use of the internet by consumers for marketing related activities, and where is the internet headed in terms of integrating strategies? Originality/value - The study provides both academics and practitioners with an updated review of the internet marketing literature along with a sense of how internet marketing research is evolving.