In our latest research into purchasing influences we wanted to spot the impact of the current economic uncertainties on people’s purchase decision.
The results have highlighted the impact of online peer reviews on sales, with 76% of respondents admitting changing purchase decisions after reading online reviews of the product they were looking to buy.
The survey, which polled 1,223 users, also brought bad news for shop assistants who were deemed as having the least influence on purchases. Only 2% of respondents citing them as having an impact on what products they selected.
There’s an interesting preference for online reviews even over those from your friends: 34% of people said they would choose reviews by people who owned the product over recommendations from friends (19%) when purchasing goods.
Brand names are still an important factor in buying products though, especially in beauty and electrical goods. 80% of women will only purchase branded beauty products, and 83% cited the strength of the brand as a guide when deciding to purchase electronic products such as DVD players and Satellite Navigation devices.
Some more quick facts from the survey:
- 61% choose to purchase CDs, DVD and Books online to take advantage of cheaper prices
- 22% use online shops for clothes, compared to 67% of users in high-street stores
- Overall online spending was still strong, with 25% of Ciao users in UK spending on average £1000 or more per year, followed by 22% spending £500 to £999, 35% £100 to £499 and 18% spending less than £10.
Expert comment: Tom Hyde, E-commerce team leader at Ciao
"People are becoming savvier than ever when it comes to purchasing a product. User review sites are a great way to get impartial information from people who have genuine first-hand experience of the product or service. The fact people are changing their purchase decisions because of what they read in reviews is testament to their success. Brands now more than ever need to be aware of what customers are saying about them online, and take advantage of online communities to interact and engage directly with consumers to address any issues or concerns and secure better reviews in future."
You can download the full report as a PDF if you'd like to know more. We'd also love to hear from you in the comments.