Online and mobile shopping are expanding at a quick pace; both venues are allowing consumers to shop anytime from virtually anywhere. It’s important to understand what consumers are looking for when they venture online to shop.
The E-tailing group presented a study of 1,300 consumers at the Internet Retailer 2012 Conference. This study looked at online behaviors of consumers and asked what factors drive their purchasing decisions.
From the study, the top five considerations made when making online purchasing decisions include:
● Price, 80%
● Ability to purchase online for home delivery, 62%
● Ability to get the product within a day or two, 54%
● Ability to purchase locally at a store, 45%
● Advice/reviews from peers on web sites, 38%
The study goes on to state that there has been a 43% increased their online shopping in the last year. Trends are also showing in making online purchases from tablets, smartphones, and even Facebook.
This trend will only continue to increase as the internet, mobile apps, and the enhancement of smartphones develops. Ensuring that your online purchasing options are as strong as possible will help businesses stay competitive.
What are some considerations you can make to enhance consumers’ online shopping experience?
1. Ensure that products are easy to find, and pictures are of good quality. Offering various viewpoints of products online will help customers make decisions quicker.
2. Incorporate a product review feature into websites so consumers can easily find reviews and make informed decisions. Also incorporate social sites, such as Facebook, to allow users to see what their friends buy.
3. If you are using social sites to engage with consumers, make it easy to visit your website. Many businesses are incorporating shopping pages on their Facebook accounts, for example, so consumers can browse without leaving the social networking site.
4. Make sure your website is mobile friendly. Make it easy for consumers to shop wherever they are. Consider the use of mobile apps to enhance business from mobile customers.
