Online Shopping Has Grown, Influenced by Social Media
A study titled “How America Searches: Online Retail” released by iCrossing on Monday is similar to a study conducted by the marketing firm in 2005, and discusses U.S. adult shopping habits.
One major finding is that online shopping is continuing its growth. According to iCrossing, currently 39% of online adults have indicated that they made an online purchase at least once a month, which compares favorably to the 30% figure from 2005, showing a 30% jump over the two-year span.
Search was and still is a key channel through which online users gain information to conduct their online shopping. Sixty-five percent of online shoppers in the U.S. research products on search engines. The number of online shoppers who searched for online and offline retailers also increased significantly from 2005.
One new finding was the emergence of social media and its influence on online shopping habits. A significant 42% said that they valued brand and product information on sites like Wikipedia to be very important for their purchasing decisions. Social media such as blog postings, online videos, and brand profiles on social networking sites were especially influential for online shoppers between the ages of 18 and 44.
Online reviews have also grown in importance for online shoppers. Forty-nine percent indicated that they referred to peer customer reviews of products in their online shopping process, an increase from 2005’s 40% figure.
“With the rise in importance of social media and consumer-generated content in general and customer reviews in particular, brands and retailers face new challenges in not only managing their reputations, but also maintaining the attention of their customers,” the study asserts. It also suggests that adding online retailers could add customer review sections to make its customers’ experience more engaging.
Source:
http://news.icrossing.com/press_releases.php?press_release=how-america-searches-online-shopping
