WebSurveyor Holiday WebShopper Report: Women Buyers Transform Internet Buying
-- Even so, more than 70% of potential buyers abandon online shopping carts before making a purchase--
--Worst Holiday Gift: Socks--
HERNDON, VA. (January 18, 2006) - For the first time since the inception of online retailing ten years ago, more women than men purchased items online during the 2005 holiday shopping season, transforming the Internet from a male-dominated shopping bastion into the "Internette" which must take into account the buying preferences of women, according to a groundbreaking new study by WebSurveyor. Called the WebSurveyor 2005 Holiday WebShopper Report, it identifies five important new trends that Internet retailers must take into account if they are to stem the huge tide of abandoned online shopping carts and to repeat double-digit sales increases in 2006.
"Our findings show fundamental changes in online buying trends that will require Internet retailers to make a qualitative leap in understanding their customers' needs," says Brian Koma, WebSurveyor Vice President of Services. "The dramatic 25% - 30% increases in 2005 can be sustained in 2006 only by better understanding who is shopping on e-tail sites, what they're looking for, and most importantly, why they're leaving."
- Women out-shopped men in every age category, including 75% of women in the 31-40 year-old age group who say the Internet is their preferred purchasing method. As a result of this, many online retailers must now consider transforming themselves from male-oriented "hunter" sites to female-oriented "gatherer" sites that provide a richer online purchasing experience.
- Large numbers of potential buyers (more than 70%, both men and women) continue to abandon online shopping carts before they complete the purchase process. When compared to traditional retail store abandonment rates of 2%-3%, online shopping cart abandonment rates present Internet retailers with their single biggest challenge.
- Shipping costs and problems continue to be big barriers to additional sales. Almost 15% of buyers say they experienced problems in receiving their goods on time, highlighting problems with shipping and tracking that can negatively impact future sales given the dramatically increased volume of goods purchased this way. When shipping problem and the perceived high cost of shipping are added together, they present Internet retailers with significant challenges for 2006.
- Consumers perceive Internet retail sites as less customer-focused than traditional retailers, with more than 65% saying that they buy more unplanned items at a retail store than from an Internet site. Both men and women in the spontaneous 18-30 year-old age category were particularly apt to feel this way.
"As advertising/marketing budgets increasingly shift to the more accountable online medium, the cost of directing a qualified customer to an e-tailer is growing," according to Robert Gregory, an e-commerce domain expert and consultant to many of today's leading web properties. Says Gregory, "In an effort to make the most of the opportunity each visitor represents, clients are choosing to enhance their data gathering capabilities. Through the combination of surveys and market specific premiums they are able to learn as much as possible about the visitors who don't buy and initiate an ongoing relationship with a growing number of highly qualified potential customers. For most retailers anything they can do to increase site conversion by 2-3 points will double their on line sales."
"WebSurveyor's Services Group of online survey professionals conducted a nationwide online consumer survey between December 27, 2005 and January 3, 2006 to identify key trends and explore what people thought about their Internet shopping experience this past holiday season. Approximately 22,000 consumers were asked to take the survey, and over 500 individuals responded, providing a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of +/- 4% in the data.
To download the complete report, visit: http://websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/32490/report_registration.htm
About WebSurveyor Corporation
WebSurveyor Corporation is the leading provider of online survey solutions that empower people with real-time feedback to drive their businesses. Since 1999, over 4,000 customers have trusted WebSurveyor with their online survey projects. WebSurveyor ensures data security and confidentiality, a reliable survey hosting service, dependable survey software and a responsive team of survey experts--all backed by a money-back guarantee. The company has been recognized for its strong commitment to business excellence and to the highest standards of civic and social responsibility, integrity, and ethical conduct, while being named one of the fastest growing companies in America.
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