Study finds online shoppers do their research

while most turn to Amazon for guidance, a growing segment is using social media and mobile

Online shopping and brick-and-mortar shopping are two totally different animals. When I go “shopping,” I may have a general idea of what I want, but the real thrill is in browsing the selection and stumbling upon something I never would’ve found otherwise. Online shopping, on the other hand, is a much more surgical procedure. When I buy something online, it’s because I know exactly what I want.

The online shopper doesn’t go into a transaction blindly, but with a day or more of research under their belts, according to a study released Wednesday by PowerReviews and the e-tailing group. The study, which looked at the online shopping habits of 1,000 respondents, found that consumers utilize a vast array of research tools when shopping online, including search, social, and mobile.

Outlining how critical research is to online purchases, a full 70% of respondents said that they take at least one day or more to do research before they commit to buying an item. Additionally, those same respondents said that research takes up at least 75% of their online shopping time. And while the majority say they use search engines and the retailer’s site to conduct their research, a whopping 90% said that consumer reviews play an important role in their decision making process. A full 60% said that consumer reviews are the most important factor in their research.

This would seem to contradict the rising tide of daily deal sites that rely on impulsive online shoppers, but I suppose daily deals would be another breed unto itself.

Amazon plays an interesting role in consumer research, with as many as 60% of respondents saying they go to Amazon first to check prices and consumer reviews, while fully 85% of respondents say that Amazon plays a role in their research.

Facebook and other social media sites also play a unique role in consumers’ research habits. While it’s no secret that people are more likely to buy items that their friends recommend, only one-third of respondents said that they turn to social media for research purposes.

And then, of course, there’s mobile. One-third of respondents said they have used their mobile phone from inside a brick-and-mortar store to access coupons, compare prices, and check up on reviews and ratings. Additionally, one-third of respondents said they use the scan functionality on their phones to scan bar codes and get price comparisons.

So online retailers be warned: today’s online shopper is a savvy beast who is informed and not prone to impulsive purchasing decisions. 

Image source: fairterms.org