Research from MPG Media Contacts and Lightspeed Research into 'the social shopper' has found that consumers continue to be inspired to purchase by social and online elements such as friend recommendations and pictures.
The nationally representative survey of 1,000 respondents found that although nine out of 10 of the online population have purchased online in the last six months, three in four say they have never followed a link from Facebook to make a purchase.
The above graph highlights some influences to online purchase, with almost 48 per cent of those surveyed inspired by images of products shared by others, and 46 per cent stating they like receiving product recommendations from friends. Four in ten also said they ask friends on social media sites for their opinions on purchases. Highlighting the importance of social recommendations was the finding that 42 per cent of 18-34 year olds have actually had their minds changed about something they were planning to buy because they've seen something negative in social. The research also suggests that the strength of blogger recommendations is starting to dwindle compared to friends’ recommendations and visuals. On a scale of 1 to 7 (seven being the lowest) blogger opinions were marked at 5, while photos were scored at 3.5 and posts from friends being 3.6.
Other key findings- 35 per cent agreed social media is changing shopping
- Distrust still exists around m-commerce payment, with 27 per cent of those who had not purchased via their mobile citing not wanting to submit bank details to a mobile as their reason
- Another barrier to mobile purchasing is retail brand sites not being mobile optimised; 25 per cent of those not currently purchasing on their mobiles are looking for brands to rebuild their sites for mobile and complained that screen sizes are too small complete registration forms, therefore blocking routes to purchase
- In terms of what people expect from brands, 40 per cent want them to stay in touch after purchase.
Amy Kean, head of consumer innovation at MPG Media Contacts, said: “The Social Shopper wants to be inspired by elements of social media such as photos and friend reviews, but does not necessarily want to purchase from social sites. “This is a huge opportunity for brands. Social media is about window shopping and inspiration is just as important as the e-commerce basket. Brands need to apply the same rules to our social displays as we would our stores.” Ralph Risk, Marketing Director, Lightspeed Research, said: “While our research shows that social commerce may not yet be delivering for many brands in terms of purchases, the importance of social influence cannot be dismissed. Shoppers are influenced by various media and having a joined up strategy, while ensuring there is an easy path to purchase, whether social, mobile, online or in-store, is the best way to meet customer expectations."
