Though there is no question that online searches are becoming more popular among consumers, but what exactly triggers those consumers to search online? In a recent analysis of BIGresearch’s Simultaneous Media Survey (SIMM 9) by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA), consumers say they take cues from traditional advertising to determine when and where to search for merchandise online.
Consumers said that they were most motivated to begin an online search after viewing advertisements in magazines (47.2 percent), newspapers (42.3 percent), on TV (42.8 percent) and from reading articles (43.7 percent). Women were more likely than men to be motivated by coupons (41.8 percent vs. 29.0 percent) and in-store promotions (29.0 percent vs. 24.5 percent) while men were more driven to start an online search based on a face-to-face conversation (36.1 percent vs. 29.5 percent).
“When it comes to advertising, retailers always need to be careful not to put all of their eggs in one basket,” said Mike Gatti, Executive Director of RAMA. “While search engine marketing continues to be a popular strategy, retailers should not lose sight of traditional advertising channels to promote products and services.”
After searching, online consumers said they are most likely to communicate with others about their search through face-to-face discussion (68.9 percent), though email (53.1 percent), telephone (50.9 percent), and cell phone (30 percent) communication were also popular choices. Young adults 18-24 are also taking advantage of an influx of new media, communicating about service, products and brands by instant messaging (37.5 percent), text messaging (23.7 percent) and through online communities like MySpace and Facebook (20.6 percent).
”Retailers must realize that online communities are now producers and through their stories are able to extend the distribution of traditional media with a trust and truth not even approximated by mass media,” said Joe Pilotta, Vice President of BIGresearch.
Shoppers continue to use the web as a resource before determining which items to buy and where. According to the survey, 92.5 percent of adults said they regularly or occasionally research products online before buying them in a store. Products that are most often researched online before being purchased in a store include electronics (50.8 percent), apparel (31.9 percent), and appliances (27.0 percent). Men were twice as likely as women to shop for automobiles online (20.2 percent vs. 10.2 percent), though women research home décor products more often than men (18.9 percent vs. 11.6 percent).
