Consumer Corner : shopping

Young Consumers are Internet Coupon Clippers

Mike Phillips — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:08:00 GMT

A research study from Platform-A and IRI polled more than 36,000 panelists and found that online coupons hold great interest to Internet users - particularly the younger generations. The study revealed that nearly 4 out of every 10 shoppers would be "very likely" to use coupons accessed online. That number rises to 51% when polling the 18- to 24-year-old segment.

Other findings include that younger couples are the most likely life-stage group to use online coupons, and young couples without children are the most likely, followed by young couples with children.

It's a good time to offer online coupons. As Mark Ellis, senior vice president, AOL/Platform-A explains, "We have an economy that makes coupons much more relevant to the average consumer, a rising generation of families totally at home with the Internet, and an overall decline of the newspaper and its Sunday circular distribution. There's clearly a huge window of opportunity here."

Online coupons have a significant advantage over their paper-bound ancestors in that they can be distributed almost anywhere. Businesses can offer coupons through their websites, e-mail, networking applications like Facebook and Twitter, SMS, even 2D barcodes on posters, signs or magazine ads. Of course, there are also online coupon networks to leverage. Some popular choices for consumers, (therefore, places to list your coupons) are Coupons.com, RetailMeNot.com, Shopzilla.com, CoolSavings.com and CouponCabin.com.

Related Post: Where are Consumers Comparison Shopping?

Websites are Failing Consumers this Holiday Season

Mike Phillips — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:12:00 GMT

A study by customer analytics firm iPerceptions finds that consumers are not being served well on retailers' websites. The mid-holiday report surveyed data from 300,000 website visitors in November and December, 2008. Task completion rates at consumer electronics sites were 60% for the holiday season to date, and just 52% on Black Friday and 54% on Cyber Monday.

The leading barrier to task completion were product-level (62%), including lack of detailed information (33%), items not in stock (30%) poor selection (14%) and indadequate customizability (11%). Just 13% of task completion barriers were due to price.

From the press release: "In a challenging holiday season, consumer electronics retailers saw nearly 1 out of every 2 site visitors leave their site without completing their primary purpose of visit," said Jonathan Levitt, vice president of marketing at iPerceptions. "This wasn't due to pricing concerns, in fact it was primarily a function of inadequate information and inventory. Our report indicates that a few simple fixes, such as adding ratings and reviews, could have tremendous impact on the bottom line in the final days of the holiday season."

The message here is clear: Make sure your product descriptions are accurate and detailed, and try to include some user reviews, ratings and testimonials. In addition, keep close tabs on your inventory. Not having something in stock doesn't just mean the loss of a sale. Brand experience comes into play. According to the study, consumers who are able to complete their tasks report an enhanced brand opinion 67% of the time - as opposed to 18% of those who experience failure.

Online Sales Since Cyber Monday are Up This Year

Mike Phillips — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:11:00 GMT

Amid all the economic doom and gloom, there's a bright spot for online retailers. For the week including and after Cyber Monday (Dec. 1 - Dec.5) online sales hit $3.74 billion, up 9 percent from last year, according to Comscore. But the numbers can be slightly deceiving, as the holiday shopping season is shorter this year than last.

The fastest growing categories during this period were sports/fitness (35%), consumer electronics (24%) and toys and apparrel/accessories (16%). Interestingly, both jewelry/watches and music/movies/videos were down, at -22% and -24%, respectively.

So where were consumer's spending all that cash? The top retail sites in terms of unique visitors last week were eBay (-9%), Amazon sites (10%), Wal-mart (7%), Target (-2%) and Apple (29%). eBay continues its free fall, and Overstock.com fared worse, dropping 15% from the same period last year.

Cyber Monday S.O.S. - 3 Quick Tips

Mike Phillips — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:56:00 GMT

According to the National Retail Federation, citing a study by BIGresearch, nearly 60% of office workers will shop online over their lunch hour on Monday. And depending on your target demographic, it may be more - 70% of those ages 18-34 will shop from work on Monday. All of those online shoppers are looking for one thing: big deals. The NRF estimates that 84% of retailers will have Cyber Monday deals, up from 72% last year. So, as a retailer (or even a blogger, consumer advocate, publisher, etc.) you need to make sure you're prepared for Monday and beyond.

Security: Top-of-mind with shoppers this Monday will be their personal security. My search this morning on Google for "Cyber Monday Tips" returned a top result of an article offering 10 tips to avoid being hacked. In fact, consumers are being specifically warned about the dangers of Cyber Monday. It's important to ensure your customers that your site is secure and transactions are safe. Display your security policy (or a descriptive link) prominently on your site. And that includes checkout pages. Consumers want to feel safe every step of the way.

Obtainable: There's no question that Cyber Monday is the busiest traffic days of the year for online retailers, even if it's not the highest transaction day. Consumers are browsing, if not buying, filling out their lists and checking for the best prices. Given the state of the economy and that every economist in the country expects people to spend less this year, comparison shopping will be huge, and that means more time surfing the Web for discounts. Make sure your website is ready to handle the traffic. You might also consider offering a live chat for your customers to ask questions, click-to-call, or even just making sure your telephone number is displayed on every page.

Shipping: Nothing entices a prospective customer like free or discounted shipping. Avoiding the malls is a benefit of online shopping. But paying for that convenience through shipping might not be worth it for many consumers this year. In addition, many consumers expect shipping deals. Read more about consumer's shipping attitudes. Another popular convenience that's easy to offer is gift wrapping.

Can't-Miss Black Friday Websites and Resources

Mike Phillips — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:13:00 GMT

According to the National Retail Federation's 2008 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, 72.0 percent of consumers have completed less than 10 percent of their shopping. So, that means the upcoming weeks are going to be big for consumers and retailers, especially online retailers.

Online

BFads.net: This site features thousands of Black Friday ads, updated several times per day. Registering on the site lets you create a shopping list, where you can select various items from their corresponding stores, and print out the ads and coupons. There are also articles on the site to help you get the most out of Black Friday, and get some tips and reviews on popular products.

Black-Friday.net: Many of the deals here are early releases by the retailers, but some are "stolen" from the printing presses of insider employees and leaked to the website. Create a shopping list here and you will be notified on Thanksgiving Day of which items you selected are in stock and available to purchase online. This site also features "doorbusters," items heavily discounted only in the early morning hours of Black Friday.

GottaDeal: Along with standard ads, there is a timeline of what you can expect on the site. The online section lists deals available for immediate purchase at the Black Friday price or "sometimes even cheaper." This is a pretty good place to check before making a final purchase to make sure you're getting the best deal.

Amazon: Of course Amazon has a Black Friday site. Associates can choose from a variety of widgets and include Gold Box hourly deals to entice consumers to purchase.

Mobile

This year more than ever, your mobile device could come in handy while shopping on Black Friday while in stores. BFads' mobile site is stripped down, and that's a good thing. It's quick to respond and easy to navigate - http://m.bfads.net. GottaDeal's mobile site is also handy, though not quite as user-friendly - http://blackfriday.gottadeal.mobi.

iPhone - SaveBenjis: Enter a product name or scan a bar code and make sure you're getting the best price.

Android - Compare Everywhere: Same function as Save Benjis, using a bar code scanner. Field tests by Website Magazine's staff have been very positive.

Twitter Black Friday: It seems only natural, Twitter Black Friday. Currently 609 followers and regularly updated, a nice way to see what retailers are offering out there, provided by shoppingblog.com.

Missed Opportunity

The "Biggest Missed Opportunity" award goes to two of the most trafficked sites on the Internet - Facebook and MySpace. There's hardly a mention of Black Friday opportunities and a search finds mostly bands. Facebook does have a Black Friday group, with all of 199 members, and one wall post since August.

Mint.com Sends Detailed Information via SMS

Mike Phillips — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:46:00 GMT

With budgets tight this holiday season, Mint.com's SMS service could come in handy. By texting "Bal" or "Balance" to MYMINT (696468), users can get real-time balances of their checking and savings accounts, credit union and investment accounts that are tracked in their Mint accounts. So, if you're in line for a purchase, you can quickly see which account you should use, and if you're in danger of overdrafting. And with support for more than 7,500 financial institutions, it's a good bet that your bank will be supported.

"As the holiday season approaches, we’re proud that the more than half a million Mint.com users are well-prepared to shop within their budget and avoid crushing debt, especially in this uncertain economy,” said Aaron Patzer, founder and CEO of Mint. Mint is free and claims nearly 600,000 users, tracking more than $50 billion in transactions and $15 billion in assets.

Cyber Threats to Spike This Holiday Season

Mike Phillips — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:07:00 GMT

Security Solutions provider Webroot is warning shoppers of the increase in security threats for online shoppers in the upcoming weeks and months. “Last year we saw an 87 percent increase in malicious URLs between October and December. These sites are typically used to trick shoppers into giving their credit or debit card numbers, or to download malware,” said Peter Watkins, CEO, Webroot.

The worst of it is expected to hit on Cyber Monday, December 1.

This serves as a good reminder to make sure consumers feel safe on your website. This includes making privacy policies and security information easily accessible, displaying security badges throughout your website and providing contact information. Also be sure to take these measures on landing pages - while you don't want to take away from a call to action, simple links or short sentences about user security, followed by a link for more information is appropriate and could be a determining factor at checkout.

Buy, Trade and Sell Gift Cards at MonsterGiftCard.com

Mike Phillips — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:45:00 GMT

According to Josh Adler, cofounder of MonsterGiftCard.com, close to $80 billion is spent on gift cards every year, while nearly 10 percent of those are never used. So, Adler and his wife Elvia founded the website to give consumers a way to cash in on those lost opportunities. At MonsterGiftCard.com you can buy gift cards at a discount price. Early looks show 10-20% discounts. For example, an American Airlines card valued at $1,000 is being sold for $850. You can also list your gift cards for sale, and trade your cards with another consumer.

There are some holes. Curiously, the electronics category is empty, as are other categories. So you might not find everything you want but you might find some little gems. Overall, it's a great idea and could come in handy during the holidays - both for your personal shopping and for "regifting" a card at a discounted price. All transactions are guaranteed.

Consumer Confidence Plunges in October

Mike Phillips — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:00:00 GMT

According to The Conference Board, a New York-based business research group, consumer confidence is in shambles. The Consumer Confidence Index was created in 1967, and the current score of 38 is its lowest ever. That's down from a score of 61.4 in September.

"While the current reading may be an overreaction to the bad news in October, it does make clear that consumers understand that we have firmly moved into a recessionary environment and that this slowdown will be the worst in a generation," said Adam York, economic analyst at Wachovia Economics Group.

As such, Web professionals can expect a bumpy road this holiday season and beyond. While slumping consumer confidence and a sagging economy may push some users online to find better deals, we can expect spending overall to take a serious hit. This should also serve as a reminder to do everything possible to entice consumers with special deals or incentives. For instance, even though gas prices have dropped lately, consumers might elect to shop online to save money this shopping season. Therefore, offering shipping deals might be just the incentive consumers need to buy. Other incentives might include layaway programs (check out eLayaway), rebates and coupon codes (read Where Are Consumers Comparison Shopping?). And, if you haven't already, it's time to take a serious look at comparison shopping sites.

Comparison Shopping from Your Mobile

Mike Phillips — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:33:00 GMT

Did you ever get the feeling while shopping that you might not be getting the best deal? Pongr is an application that can make sure you do. There are a few ways to use the service. The first, and easiest is to take a photo of the product and send the photo via MMS to SHOPP (74677). The second is to send a text message with the product's UPC code or the product name or title to SHOPP (74677). The third is to send an email with the UPC code to ping@pongr.com.

In all cases you will get a return message with a list of the best prices and websites for the item that Pongr can find. The most reliable method is using the UPC code. Text messages will work, but because of limits on characters, you may not get every result they find.

There is an iPhone app, a Facebook app and coming soon, a Blackberry and Android app. You can sign up for an account, but it's not necessary.

Does it work? Yes, and no. I first tested the UPC by sending an email from my Blackberry to ping@pongr.com with the code for "The Chicago Manual of Style." I got back an email within about 20 seconds:

The Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers
$33.99 at Half.com
http://pongr.com/m/3402XXXX (The X's are added by me because the link was pointing to a page in which my account and email came up.)

The Half.com link takes you to the website, with no particular product listed. The second link takes you to a page with more prices and links to the actual product pages. Next, I took a photo and tried to send it via MMS to 74677. It didn't work. Then I tried sending the photo via email to ping@pongr.com. While I did get the same result as above, the first seven results were completely unrelated. Finally, I sent a text message "The Chicago Manual of Style." I was surprised to get a result from Amazon, for $31.19. Then, after clicking the link, my mobile browser took me to an Amazon page that was for "Manual of Style: Containing Typographical Rules Governing the Publications of the University of Chicago Press together with Specimens of Types Used at the University of Chicago Press, 1927 Edition." Close (they are both published by The University of Chicago Press) but no cigar.

Clearly, there are some kinks to be worked out - the site is in beta. But it looks promising. I'm guessing that the apps will work nicely. Either way, Pongr works fast (important if you're shopping in a store) and it did bring back a result that was about $20 less than what I paid for the book.

Marketing With Niche Social Sites and Dedicated Audiences

Mike Phillips — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:17:00 GMT

The Web has consumers socializing and connecting in ways unimaginable just a few years ago. And there are plenty of places to connect with like-minded people. Lets take a look beyond MySpace and Facebook and examine some niche social networking sites. While these sites' traffic may pale in comparison to the big networks, there's a good opportunity to connect to a dedicated audience who might be more open to learning a little more about your product, services or targeted offer. Like any social networking marketing, tread lightly but with purpose. If you provide real value to members, they will be much more willing to engage your brand.

ParentsConnect.com, a Nickelodeon product, has seen a massive spike in traffic starting in June 2008. Here, parents come together to share tips and advice and find resources to help out with family life. Click on the "Local" tab and you can find deals on products and services, not to mention add your own. Compared to most family and Mom-focused networking sites, ParentsConnect has a more affluent, educated audience (Quantcast.com).

Mom Bloggers Club, a network of 1,600 members "is a place where moms who blog converge to talk about the latest trends in blogging and support each other in their blogging endeavors. Moms can find everything here from discussions about RSS feeds and sidebar widgets to parenting advice and giveaways." There are forums, groups and judging by the number of comments in these areas, it's an active community. And what does every Mom need to do to keep her family running? Shop. Maybe you have something to offer this community. And since they are bloggers, chances are if you impress them, it will spread.

Also check out BabyCenter.com, GotKidsNetwork.com and CafeMom.com.

Social shopping is about as direct as it gets. People come to these sites to spend money and get advice on products and services. iliketotallyloveit.com takes a page from Digg by featuring products on the home page that have been voted up by the community, everything from furniture to coffee mugs. You can also submit products for inclusion, then try to get votes to get your stuff on the home page. iliketotallyloveIt.com's traffic is up 245% from last year (compete.com).

BirdPost.com is a networking site for bird watchers - niche indeed. You can connect with other members, follow birds and geo-tag their locations. On your profile page you can link your birding blog or website. So why would you be interested in something like this? Well, I imagine bird enthusiasts need everything from books and binoculars to camera equipment and hiking boots.

As you can see, there are social networks out there with active communities in various niches. The idea is to spend a little time investigating your industry - chances are there's a network out there where you can do a little promotion and hopefully brand your business with a dedicated audience. And if you can't find one, consider a product like Ning.com, where you can build your own.

Secret Amazon Discount Finder

Mike Phillips — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:25:00 GMT

Yesterday we looked at where consumers are comparision shopping. Following that theme, check out this new shopping tool from Deal Locker, Secret Amazon Discount Finder.

Here, enter your search by specific keyword or broad terms, choose your category and discount level (between 10-99%). You will be redirected to an Amazon page that shows those items matching your criteria. You can search Amazon US, UK, Canada, France and Germany at this time, Japan is coming soon.

So before you buy on Amazon, you might want to give this tool a try, it could mean significant savings.

eBay Browser Comparison Tool

Mike Phillips — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:21:00 GMT

Browser Highlighter (from eBay) is an extension that will show you eBay listings with a click of your mouse for items that you are currently shopping for. By downloading the extension, the Highlighter automatically places a button on Web pages (at right) of certain shopping sites (Amazon, NextTag, Google, Yahoo). Click the button and you see eBay listings of that item, or similar items.

After briefly testing the tool, I find that it works best with very specific queries. For example, search "Chicago Cubs" on Amazon and you get books, t-shirts and the like. Click the eBay button and you get tickets for the upcoming playoff game. But if you search for a specific book title, you get more relevant results from the eBay button. Overall, it's not a bad way to see the current market value of a particular item or group of items.

Upcoming for the Browser Highlighter is a PayPal tool, where you can click a button to automatically fill in forms and pay for an item anywhere on the Web, a Skype tool for click-to-call functionality and a StumbleUpon tool that will show user reviews.

Apprema Takes Virtual Gifts, Makes Them Reality

Mike Phillips — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:09:00 GMT

One of the more popular features on social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook is the ability to send people a virtual gift - flowers, a drink, whatever. Apprema has a way to send real gifts to your friends throught social networks or email. They can be personalized, come with virtual "wrapping" (including designed packaging and your photo) and can range from music downloads to Starbucks gift certificates.

For example, you could send an iTunes gift card with your personal recommendation as to what to download. They don't have to take your suggestion and can download whatever they want but this way, it's a little more personal.

There are also group options. You can set up a gift for someone and ask others in your group to contribute. Apprema has a system that handles email reminders, payment tracking for each individual and so on, so you're not running people down looking for their five bucks.

In these days of social networking and the constant birthday reminders, etc., this isn't a bad way to take care of shopping for your friends. It's also a pretty good way to offer clients gifts in appreciation for their patronage, or even as a way to offer rewards for their loyalty to your networks. And for merchants, you can contact Apprema to make your gift cards or products available through Apprema - a good way to get your business active in the social networking world.

Search and Shop for Charity

Mike Phillips — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:37:00 GMT

We would all like to contribute to our favorite charities. But we're all also busy people and expendable income is harder to find these days. But you can donate and it won't cost you a dime, and there's really no extra effort involved.

It's time to take a fresh look at GoodSearch - a search engine founded in 2005 that donates at least 50 percent of it's advertising revenue to your specified charity. In essence, every time you search, your selected charity gets a donation - about $.01 per search, according to the site. Select your charity (there are hundreds to choose from at the bottom of the home page) or enter your own, click "verify" and start searching. As long as you have cookies enabled, the site will save your charity when you return for another search, or you can choose a different charity each time. Results come from Yahoo, so you can be sure they will be relevant. The chart below shows and example of the possibilities of using GoodSearch.

Released in 2007, you can also shop for charity with GoodShop. As you might imaging, a percentage of every purchase is donated to your selected charity. And the list of participating etailers is impressive - eBay, Amazon.com, iTunes, Expedia, Best Buy, Buy.com and many more. Percentages donated average 3 percent but can reach up to 20 percent. Click on the retailer's donation percentage at the GoodShop website to learn about qualifying purchases - some retailers will not pay out on gift cards, for example.