The vast majority of people no longer associate purchasing with online or physical establishments. Rather, their whole attention is on omnichannel purchasing. Additionally, social media shopping plays a significant role in their trip, thus it goes beyond simply using traditional omnichannel.
This is in line with the recently released Shopper Experience Index from Bazaarvoice, a company that offers social commerce solutions and full-funnel real user-generated content. Customer evaluations and user-generated content (UGC) continue to play a significant role in influencing consumer behaviour and fostering brand trust, according to research it commissioned from over 8,000 consumers in the US, UK, Germany, France, India, Australia, and Canada.
Of the key conclusions, 81 per cent of consumers agree that reading actual customer evaluations “significantly increases” their confidence in a purchase. Additionally, UGC is the most trusted source of product information, with 77 per cent of customers trusting it more than information from brands.
Overall, the study revealed a change in customer behaviour, and as previously said, omnichannel shopping has expanded beyond just choosing to make a purchase online or in-store. Social networking, showrooming, and webrooming are among its essential components. Customers are depending more and more on user-generated content (UGC) to find products and make purchases, and tailored offers are increasingly driving sales for a variety of product categories.
With four out of five preferring a combination of in-store and online shopping, 88 per cent of consumers desire a smooth shopping experience across all the channels they use.
59 per cent of consumers engage in showrooming, which is the reverse of webrooming, which is the practice of researching things online before purchasing them in physical locations. Three-quarters of consumers engage in webrooming.
A significant 31 per cent of consumers make direct purchases through social media, and over a third (39 per cent) utilise these channels for product research and discovery.
When it comes to rating products, over half of customers are willing to express their thoughts and consider themselves makers.
Gen Z is very interested in user-generated content (UGC), with 80 per cent of them saying it is important when making decisions. But the kind of stuff they like depends on their generation. Gen Z appreciates visual content, such as images and videos from social media influencers, whereas Baby Boomers rely more on conventional UGC, such as ratings and reviews.
Around 45 per cent of consumers make online purchases as a result of personalised offers. With a 42 per cent share, clothing is one of the leading categories for personalised offers.
