Gloom and doom? The holidays are fast approaching and more consumers will shop online than ever before - you can count on it. According to a recent online survey of 200 consumers commissioned by eCommerce optimization software provider Avail Intelligence, nearly 80 percent of the respondents confirmed they plan to shop online the same amount or more than they did during last year’s holiday season.

In order to make the most of this shopping season, Avail recommends eCommerce professionals consider enlisting the power of recommendation engines and peer-driven reviews, as the survey found that 42 percent of the respondents seek a high volume of positive reviews when making their purchasing decisions.

“Cyber Monday is the best time for sites to be prepared for the demands of today’s savvy shopper,” said Dr. Rolf Elmér, CEO, Avail Intelligence. “Deploying a social behavioral merchandizing technology platform that integrates collaborative search, landing page optimization and intelligent predictive recommendation engines offers the support necessary to gain the trust of consumers. This will convert browsers into buyers and lead to an uplift in sales.”