Shoppers Researching Products Online, Buying Offline
Online information is increasingly used for research, but only a small percentage of searches lead to online purchases, according to a survey from the Pew Center for Internet and American Life Project. The survey, focussing on shopping for music, cellphones and housing showed that, more often than not, purchases are consummated offline and post-purchase online commentary is only a small part of a typical shopper’s activities.
The online mall helps people sort through product choice, but it is not the only method they use to assess products and not a place where people often close the deal.
Other key findings:
Search: Online information can make product research more efficient, and it can be particularly useful for a feature-rich product. But it is not the only tool buyers use to gather information.
- Influence: Online information is generally modest in its impact on decisions, but looms larger when a purchase requires a big commitment.
- Participation: Rating products after purchase is surprisingly rare, but music buyers make direct
connections with artists after they have bought their tunes. - Disintermediation: When it comes time to make the transaction, it is still an offline world. But fewer barriers between buyers and sellers can help consumers get better deals. Online resources augment the shopping experience in tactical ways for users.
- The music-purchasing experience: Digital resources play an important role that allows consumersto engage with music after it is bought, but online resources do not play a large role in the musicpeople choose or how they consume it.
- The cell phone-purchasing experience: Online information is influential for cell phone buyers as they do comparison shopping. In addition to consulting websites of vendors, they also go to stores and consult salespeople as they sort through options.
- Hunting for housing: Online information reduces search costs for people looking for a new place tolive, but online resources supplement buyers’ toolkits. They don’t substitute for offline resources.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.