The consumer purchase journey is a path of twists and turns. Consumers jump between online and offline channels to find, research and eventually purchase from a local business. And when ready to buy, consumers are increasingly turning to digital media for that final push.

According to a new LSA study, 27% of consumers turn to company websites when they are ready to buy, 24% turn to search engines and 9% utilize rating and review sites. In total, 72% of consumers turn to a digital channels when ready to buy, while 28% turn to offline or traditional channels like friends/family, newspapers, circulars, etc.

Websites and search engines are clearly critical pieces of the purchase process for many consumers that are ready to buy. However, marketers need to see beyond this high-level trend data and explore how usage varies by business category, geography, demographics and other variables to create the most effective media strategy for local advertisers.