94% of shoppers conduct research online before making an online purchase, according to the Compete Shopper Intelligence Study.
And, overwhelmingly, they turn to search engines. 61% of shoppers say they always or often use a search engine when shopping online. That outpaces coupon sites (35%), retailers’ marketing e-mails (29%), online reviews (24%) or shopping comparison sites (22%).
However, the survey also found tremendous variability in the sources shoppers turn to before making a purchase.
For instance, among the sources shoppers turn to before making an apparel purchase are:
- Retailers’ marketing e-mails, 38%
- Retailers’ web sites, 26%
- Online advertisement, 18%
- Search engines, 12%
Among the sources shoppers turn to before making a consumer electronics purchase are:
- Retailers’ web sites, 59%
- Search engines, 45%
- Online professional reviews, 29%
- Online consumer-generated reviews, 21%
It is essential for retailers to understand how consumers in their space shop online in order to effectively retain and acquire customers, says the report. Instead of trying to utilize all available outlets, retailers should understand their particular customer niche and develop strategies unique to them. In an environment with tight consumer wallets and even tighter marketing budgets, retailers can’t afford to invest their money in resources their customers don’t use.
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