Manufacturers Are Now Believing In The Influence That Online Research Has On In Store Conversions

Here is some proprietary research that WebCollage has put together on the role that online has over off line sales...

According to WebCollage research, in store purchases increase when marketer content is available. In tests where half the audience saw the additional content online and half didn't, Mr. Alpert said, there was a 6% to 15% increase in shopping-cart value among those who had access to the content (done via A/B testing - conducted across hundreds of thousands of consumer visits on channel partner websites ). This research also sited that more than three-fourths of consumers research products online before they buy, and they're twice as likely to do so on a retailer's site as on a manufacturer's site.

Old School Web To Store Stats - Circa 2001

Here is some old research that really shows that a few folks saw the potential of how online research could severely impact offline shopping. Talk about disruptive technology on such mediums as print & broadcast.

• Research/product information is the top reason (after email) Internet users go online.
• The Strategis Group, Inc. , Midyear Report 2000
• Consumers who visit a retailer’s web site and then buy from the retail store spend 33 percent more on an annual basis in-store, compared to the retailer’s typical store customers.
• National Retail Federation, Channel Surfing: Measuring Multi-Channel Shopping
• Seven dollars are spent offline, as a direct result of online research, for one dollar spent online.
• Jupiter Communications, June 2000
  

Where In The Decision Making Process Are Shoppers?

Below is an interesting visual representation that Forrester put together that helps diagram the series of related buying activities that take place across the local search funnel.

What Types Of Goods Are More Fitting For Research Online But Instore Purchase?

According to a March 2007 trend report by Forrester, there are two main types of goods that consumers are most likely to research online and buy in store (see below). This makes a lot of sense and based upon the internal ShopLocal research, this tracks really well with what categories are often the highest interest to our local shopping guests.

1. Carefully Considered Major Purchases (like cars, jewelry & appliances)



2. Urgent, Disposable Goods (like food, office supplies and over the counter drugs)



Note: Both of the above graphs are from Forrester’s NACTAS 2006 Benchmark Survey