The internet just ruins everything, right?
So what’s the new thing it’s killed? Window shopping. Well, sort of.
But it has been replaced with something even better: Comparison shopping, and it’s easier for consumers to do this than ever before.
Before e-commerce threw a wrench in the retail industry, consumers would congregate at the nearby mall. They would stroll store-to-store, saying “I must have that!”
Only to check the price tag and then move on.
Fortunately, the internet has made it easier for consumers to get the “must have” product they’re always wanted, or at least something similar.
Google recently published a blog on their new consumer insights. They found that consumers are comparison shopping by searching for products similar to the ”must have” product, but at a more practical price.
They found that mobile searches for “that looks like” and “similar too” grew by over 60 percent in the past two years. Searches such as “shoes that look like Yeezy’s” or “siding that looks like brick” and “coolers similar to yeti.”
This has also trickled into brands and companies. Google states that mobile searches for “brands like” and “store like” have also increased by over 60 percent. Searches like “brands like Chanel” or “stores like Ralph Lauren” would fall into this category.
Consumers are also starting to simply include the price in their searches, instead of filtering once they get to the website. Searches that pre-filter prices ranges are up over 175 percent in 2 years.
What this means:
Brands should strive to optimize their websites to be included in these searches. Not every brand can be Polo, Yeti, or BMW, but not every consumer is someone who can afford those products, either. Tapping into that demographic could be the game changer needed to take your business to the next level.
Google increases a company’s SEO and Search Engine Ranking the more they help customers. More than 5 billion searches happen on Google every day, which also directs customers to their Google Shopping tabs. It’s essential that businesses increase their Google rankings so they are included in this search. Providing ways for consumers to compare products on your site and promote them in ways which benefit the product should help tap into this market while simultaneously increasing your Google rankings.
P.S. What do all of these statistics have in common?
MOBILE.
52.2 percent of all worldwide web traffic is currently done through the screen of a smartphone. Mobile traffic comprises 57 percent of all online traffic in the U.S. alone. In addition, Google loves websites with mobile capabilities, which will help your website climb the ranks.
A 2017 survey from BrightEdge found that 69 percent of smartphone users are more likely to buy from companies with mobiles sites that are able to easily address their questions. This already sky-high number is likely to climb as well.
And one last statistic: more people in the world own a cell phone than a toothbrush. And, while that statistic is alarming for a multitude of reasons (oral health is serious business!), it really brings this point home: for some people throughout the world, mobile is the only access they have to internet. Meaning, of course, that mobile use will only continue to climb.
We can’t say the same about the brushing of teeth.