Among buyers of HR products and services, about one-third begin their search for a vendor or service provider by searching the Internet, according to an annual survey conducted by HRmarketer.com. For the first time, Internet searching surpassed consulting with peers as the way buyers begin their vendor search by a margin of 34% to 30%, the survey found.

If you add informational Web sites, blogs and other social media resources, going online to begin the search for a product or vendor jumps to over 50%.

So the takeaway from this year’s report: You must be found online when buyers are in the early stage of researching a product or service. “But also remember to not make the mistake of cutting your more traditional marketing and PR tactics,” the report cautions. The survey results showed that HR buyers also rely on a broad mix of sources for HR information, from conferences and trade shows to e-newsletters.

In terms of HR budgets for products and services, the bad news is that one-third of HR buyers plan on spending less this year than they did in 2009. The good news, such as it is, is that 26% plan to spend more this year, and 41% plan to spend about the same.

The survey also found that many companies plan to invest in improving “internal talent efficiencies” this year – that is, leadership development, performance management, wellness, and other initiatives like employee recognition, motivation and engagement.

HRMarketer.com released its findings last month in the fourth edition of its annual report, “Trends in HR Marketing: HR Buyers’ Behavior -- What to Expect in 2010.” The report, which provides information on trends and best practices for marketing to the HR and benefits marketplace, including the purchasing behavior of the typical HR buyer, is available for download on their Web site.