How Many Consumers Research Online Before Buying? (2024)

Report Highlights

81% of consumers research online before purchasing online or in the store.
Consumers typically take 79 days of online research before making a high-value or high-cost purchase.
30% of phone calls to retailers convert faster than web leads, producing more sales.
Phone calls to retailers convert 10 to 15 times more than web leads and result in higher-value sales.
80% of consumers say that shopping personalization is important in where they make their purchases.
65% of consumers have cut ties with retailers due to a bad customer service experience.
88% of customers will make their final purchase in-store despite doing their research online.

online shopping statistics

Interested in more stats? Read the Uber Eats Statistics and Food Delivery Statistics pages.

Table of Contents

How Many Consumers Research Online Before Making a Purchase?

On average, 81% of customers research online before making a purchase. This trend underscores the importance of a solid online presence in today’s market. 74% use websites, and 38% use social media. Youtube and Facebook are the most used platforms, with 81% and 69% of users reporting using them.

This is a huge majority and is why so many retailers and companies should get an online presence set up. This can help them to attract more customers and close those sales.

This percentage is expected to rise as online shopping is only more common.

Consumer Online Research Statistics

research

Research shows that 77% of online shoppers use their mobile devices to do this shopping. This is done conveniently as they can look up products in an actual store or when they have spare time.
It has been shown that 73% of online buyers use several channels to research online. This helps them find more information and do all the deep digging on a product they possibly can before making a purchase.
59% of consumers will use their phone or tablet in the store to compare and find the best products and the cost. This is done to understand better their options and what product is the best deal among businesses.
Retail marketers that invest in personalization for their customer’s shopping experience can get $20 in return for every dollar invested. This shows that customers look for personalization and tend to be loyal to retailers that provide this.
Consumers, on average, spend 79 days gathering information about a product before purchasing it.
60% of consumers will research a search engine rather than a website. This will then take them to the websites with the items they want to buy.
88% of consumers make their final purchase in a physical store. This is done after they research the item online and compare it to other alternatives.
The research shows that 79% of consumers feel empowered when they can do online research about products. It allows them to spend their money more wisely and choose the best options.
72% of customers are more likely to trust reviews online than the retail website. These reviews help the customer decide if the product is the right option for them.

Consumers Are More Likely to Make a Purchase After Calling

Consumers researching products online have a 39% chance of calling the company. Because most buyers are researching their mobile devices, this is an easy way to get more product information.
Research has shown that the most likely price range for consumers to call a company is typically $119. This is because consumers are more likely to call a business if the item is more expensive or luxury.
37% of consumers call a business using the paid search call extensions on the site. This shows that call extension ads offer consumers the option of calling about an item with little to no extra effort.
Research shows that phone calls to businesses convert to sales 10 to 15 times more often than web leads. This shows that consumers call when they are serious about purchasing, which is the best way to convert research into sales.
30% of consumer phone calls to businesses convert faster and more often than web leads. Calls are immediate and can provide the information the consumer needs much faster, resulting in faster sales.
84% of most online marketers have reported that phone calls have higher conversion percentages concerning larger orders of higher value. This shows that calls create the most profitable conversions that typically include higher-value items and products.
Retailers have reported having 25% more conversions by phone as consumers are calling with the intent to buy. This makes calls to sales converting options that retailers should take advantage of.

What Makes a Consumer Decide Not to Make an Online Purchase?

80% of consumers say that the experience they get from a company can be even more important than the products and services it sells. This shows that expectations from consumers are very high and can determine whether they make a purchase.
About 32% of online shoppers have said that phone calls can be one of the most irritating customer experiences. This shows that customer service channels often need some work and could make or break a purchase.
Customers are less likely to buy from a company that does not create a personalized experience. This shows that 40% of customers purchase from retailers that create a personalized shopping experience.
65% of shoppers have admitted to not shopping from a retailer due to bad customer service. One bad experience can be enough to send customers running to other retailers to make their purchases.
84% of consumers believe retailers could do more to integrate their online and offline channels. The lack of integration can sometimes cause a consumer to choose a different company.
Research shows that 58% of consumers will leave a website that does not contain any customer reviews or photos. This impacts sales and can result in customers moving to other retail websites.
88% of customers believe that a detailed product page is critical to converting to sales. Retailers that don’t prioritize product pages could lose customers as they look for products.

Shopper Marketing Statistics

33% of shoppers have looked up a product online using their mobile device while inside a store.
25% has scanned a QR code to gather more details about a product.

Online vs In-store Statistics

43% of U.S. consumers prefer predominantly online shopping over in-store purchases.
80% of shoppers visit physical stores when they need or desire an item urgently.
55% of consumers explore products in-store before purchasing them online, highlighting the importance of combining tangible in-store experiences with a seamless omnichannel approach.
Nearly half, or 45%, of consumers consult online reviews before purchasing a product in-store.

Sources

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