Impulse Purchases Rare Online

“Vast Majority of Search-Influenced Buying Occurs Either Offline or in Subsequent Internet User Sessions”
-- From a study by comScore Networks, Dec 13, 2004

• Only 15% of purchases occurred in the same session as the initial search.
• 85% occurred in a non-search session.
• A full 40% occurred from 5 to 12 weeks after the initial search.

Add to this that the initial search was most often for either a general term (such as "videos") or a known megastore, and small online businesses are left in a bind. How can small ebusinesses hope to show up in a highly competitive generic search, and how can they encourage searches for their specific business name?

Good, Old Fashioned Networking

Be found! Be known! A Google search for beaded jewelry has about 1,530,000 results. A search for beaded jewelry, Bremerton has 1,040 - very manageable from a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) standpoint. If a searcher remembered that the jeweler's name was Suzy, a search for beaded jewelry, Bremerton, Suzy would get down to a near bulls-eye of only 14.

If I was Suzy I'd take every advantage to be known, fascinating and personable while happening to point out my specialty, my online presence, and my physical location.

Share the love whenever appropriate. Do it with every handshake, be it in person or online. I'd give demonstrations, talks about beading in history, and let it be known that more of interest is available on my site. I'd do whatever I could to become Suzy, that cool bead lady from Bremerton, and I'd never, ever, forget to bring business cards that include my URL.

Be Bookmark-Worthy

I repeat: only 15% of online purchases occur in the same session as the initial search. The other 85% of purchases occur in later sessions, sometimes weeks later.

Once you get 'em in the door, romance their socks off. Show your stuff. A little tasteful eye candy wouldn't hurt. Brush up design elements. Add a favicon. Be memorable and make visitors want to come back.

• Be browsable, classy, beautiful and deep.
• Offer a little more than can be absorbed at one sitting.
• Help visitors trust you. Be convenient, reliable and interesting.
• Demonstrate responsiveness.

Check and respond to email at least once a day. Anticipate a customer's curiosities and insecurities – offer closeups, washing instructions or technical specs, as warranted by your niche. Offer gift certificates, guarantees, exchanges, refunds... do whatever would seem reasonable and attractive if you were the target customer.

Take Heart

The same set of studies points out that online spending increased about 26% over last year, while both Nielsen and Maritz reported that shoppers planned to spend about the same amount overall.

If initial estimates are correct, this could indicate a move towards doing a greater portion of total shopping online. That would involve a lot of searchers who will eventually know and love and look for Suzy.