The online retail process can seem straightforward – you have the right products at the right price, a smooth checkout process, and overall good site performance, and done. These are all given, but they are just part of the story. So what do consumers really do when they go shopping online?
According to Forrester Research, 20 percent of shoppers do product research on Google; Another 19% visit Amazon.com for product information. In the end, 67 percent make a purchase in a physical store, while 58 percent are more likely to purchase online using their computer. While this information isn’t particularly pertinent to building a site, it does indicate how shoppers start the process, and that paying attention to Google search results is a very important task.
On the mobile side, shoppers use their smartphones both practically and tactically. Thirty-five percent use it to find a store or to search for products and prices Ottawa shopping delivery. While they are already in the store, a quarter of smartphone owners check prices, and about a quarter are looking for reviews online. Nearly 40 percent have contacted someone for buying advice. Once they collect their information, 35 percent buy the product from the store they’re in and 19 percent make the purchase online (not necessarily on their phone). And 37 percent don’t buy anything at all.
How do shoppers feel about the channels available to them? With a large majority, they see traditional stores as the most reliable and safe. But the Internet via PC is generally their favorite, and the Internet either via computer or mobile phone is considered easier and more convenient.
What all this data says is that an effective retail strategy means being ubiquitous all the time with an experience that will make the consumer pause on their shopping journey here, there, everywhere. The mobile site should provide quick and easy access to locations, prices, and some product details. The tablet website should be rich in product details and reviews. The full site should give them everything. And of course, the checkout process should be smooth and easy, including touch controls as needed.
Even with the advent of responsive design, there is no “one size fits all site”. Each channel needs to meet the needs and tasks of the user and the device they are working on at the time. As smartphone and tablet share grows and gets bigger and bigger, and there’s no reason to believe the trend will change for a long time to come, the three-screen strategy is the only way a retailer can be confident that it increases revenue. Performance management is an essential pillar of that strategy.
