News
Web shoppers focus on peer reviews
Carlton Reid Nov 14 2007, 9:30am
Survey reveals pre-purchasing habits of the 'social researcher'
Retail websites without peer review features could lose out to those that do leverage the 'social web', finds PowerReviews, a company that specialises in customer review software and social merchandising. The Trek Bikes consumer site uses PowerReviews.
Amazon-style peer reviews are being widely adopted by all types of retailers, and consumers actively seek out the views of others before committing to purchases.
The Social Shopping Study surveyed 1,200 consumers who shop online at least four times per year, spending $500 or more annually.
According to the study, there's a new breed of online shopper, the ‘Social Researcher’, who places increased significant emphasis on peer feedback in product reviews when making purchasing decisions.
Lauren Freedman, president of PowerReviews, said:
“I knew there was significant interest in customer reviews but I was startled at the passion, intensity of interest and the integral nature that reviews play in online and cross-channel shopping.
This influence turns the table on the customer/merchant relationship and ensures that reviews are only the beginning of this new shopping dynamic."
Of the respondents in the study, 65 percent were identified as Social Researchers - consumers that actively seek out and read customer reviews prior to making a purchase decision always or most of the time.
82 percent of respondents found reading reviews better than researching a product in-store with a knowledgeable sales assistant.
Social Researchers were 76 percent more likely to shop on a retailer’s website versus a competitor site if it offers social navigation.
Only 40 percent of consumers actually start the shopping process using reviews; meaning many shoppers must leave retail sites during the shopping process, seeking out reviews.
