From Discovery To Purchase: Key Digital & Physical Influences On The Customer Journey

• The top five places consumers conduct pre-purchase research are Google or an equivalent search engine (89%), Amazon (88%), brand websites (56%), Walmart.com (55%), and other retailer websites (54%).
• 62% of shoppers say a paid advertisement doesn’t decrease the likelihood they’ll click on something; 9% said it increases their likelihood of doing so.
• Certain factors increase marketing email clickthrough, including price discounts or promotions (85%), products that pique the shopper’s interest (49%) and positive ratings and reviews (46%). The same three factors increase clickthrough of social media posts or ads.

• 99% use website search bars at least sometimes.
• 96% use category dropdowns at least sometimes.
• The top three factors website visitors consider when determining which products to explore further are price (87%), ratings and reviews (82%), and listed discounts (63%).

• 92% of shoppers consider ratings and reviews when viewing product pages.
• Other top considerations include price (88%), written descriptions from the brand/retailer (68%), questions provided by previous customers (65%), and shipping information (62%). 
• Top sites where consumers have converted in the last six months include Amazon (97%), retailer websites (74%), Walmart.com (71%), and brand websites (56%).

• 99% of shoppers research purchases online before going to a store at least sometimes.
• 92% research purchases online while shopping in a brick-and-mortar store.
• In-store shoppers consider many factors when researching products online, including price (90%), ratings and reviews (84%), product information provided by the brand (61%), and in-store availability (60%) – among others. 

In the past few years, retail has undergone a dramatic shift. For starters, more spending has shifted online – a trend that accelerated at the start of the pandemic yet shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, Statista forecasts that by 2025, ecommerce will account for nearly a quarter of total global retail sales. 

And while in-store shopping continues to thrive, we’re seeing some big changes there, too. Services such as buy online pickup in-store (BOPIS) after a slow start are becoming more commonplace – which are blurring the lines between ecommerce and in-person shopping and transforming the role of the store. And in-store shoppers are doing plenty of online research – both before and while they’re in physical stores. 

Regardless of whether a consumer is browsing online, in-store, or some combination of the two, their journey is rarely as linear as the marketing textbooks would have you think. Instead, it’s full of twists and turns – and oftentimes, multiple channels. According to a report from Salesforce, over three-quarters of customers have used multiple channels to start and complete a transaction.

For brands and retailers, this is a logistical nightmare. How do shoppers find out about and research your products? And consequently: where should you invest resources on customer acquisition in a world where you can’t possibly accurately size the impact of each and every part of your marketing strategy?

Now, more than ever, brands and retailers must focus on delivering seamless shopping experiences across channels that meet the expectations of modern consumers. The first step is to better understand what their habits and expectations are. 

Recently, we surveyed nearly 13,000 consumers in the US to understand how they’re navigating the purchase journey. In this report, we’ll explore how shoppers discover, research, browse, and compare products – whether they purchase online or in a brick-and-mortar store. 

The most common shopping frequency for both online and in-store shoppers is 2-3 times per week. Notably, consumers are more likely to shop online daily than they are to do so in-store. 

In addition, shopping frequency varies by age – but only slightly. For example, younger consumers shop online slightly more often than their older counterparts. 

The largest portion of online shoppers (30%) spend between $101 and $250 per month, while the largest portion of in-store shoppers (32%) spend between $251 and $500. It seems consumers are shopping online more frequently – but the transactions are smaller. On the other hand, consumers tend to shop in-store less frequently – but spend more when they do. 

As expected, monthly spending is correlated with household income. Those with higher incomes tend to spend more each month.

Oftentimes, consumers stumble upon products being promoted by paid advertising – whether or not they’re actively shopping. Maybe it’s a search ad that displays alongside Google search results. Or perhaps a display ad on a favorite website. 62% of consumers indicate a paid advertisement doesn’t decrease the likelihood they’ll click on something – and 9% indicate it’ll actually increase their likelihood of doing so. 

Of note, Gen Z’ers are the generation most likely to indicate a paid promotion will increase their likelihood of clicking through, whereas Millennials are the group most likely to say such a promotion will decrease their likelihood of clickthrough. 

Sure, ecommerce is growing. However, the majority of retail purchases still happen in a brick-and-mortar store. In many cases, these in-store shoppers are doing plenty of research before making an in-store purchase. 

99% of those we surveyed research products online before setting foot in a store. Gen Z shoppers are particularly frequent pre-purchase researchers. 

Ecommerce is growing, but brick-and-mortar continues to thrive. Brands and retailers must focus on delivering great experiences throughout the purchase journey, whether it’s online, in-store, or some combination of the two.

Read on to explore the five key takeaways from our latest survey. 

Once a shopper lands on a product page, the presence of ratings and reviews is THE most important factor impacting purchase decisions. In fact, the importance of ratings and reviews surpasses price. 

Make it a top priority to collect reviews across your entire product catalog. Then, prominently display this content on your product pages. Be sure to include features in your review display that make it easy for shoppers to sort, filter, and search for the content that’s most relevant to them – regardless of what device they’re using to browse and buy.