April 11, 2006, 2:48 PM — E-businesses have long known the importance of search to Web site traffic and sales. Search results are the largest source of new traffic at many sites and, for ecommerce sites, they often translate into purchases.
New research, though, shows that buyers often search for information in one Web session, and then make their purchases in later sessions. This can make it difficult for companies to track the importance of search.
To make things even more interesting, online searches turn into offline purchases nearly twice as often as they turn into online ones.
Delayed Impact
According to research by ComScore Networks, more than half (56 percent) of searchers' purchases actually happen in subsequent Internet sessions. In many categories, the percent of "delayed purchases" is even higher:
* Music, Movies, Video - 77%
* Computers, Peripherals, PDAs - 69%
* Home & Garden - 69%
* Toys & Hobbies - 61%
* Video Game Consoles - 58%
* Jewelry & Watches - 57%
* Average, All Categories - 56%
These numbers suggest that companies need to look beyond same-session conversion rate to be able to understand the influence of organic and paid search results.
Online Searches Result in Offline Sales
comScore found that a quarter of searchers purchase an item related to their search query, and that most of these purchases (63%) are completed offline. The percentage of searches that result in offline sales varies by category:
* Apparel & Accessories - 65%
* Toys & Hobbies - 88%
* Music/Movies/Videos - 83%
* Consumer Electronics - 84%
* Video Games & Consoles - 93%
* Jewelry & Watches - 75%
* Average, All Categories - 63%
The highest offline conversion levels occur in categories such as Consumer Electronics, Toys & Hobbies, Video Games and Consoles, and Music/Movies/Videos, where more than 80 percent of conversions are offline. Many buyers appear to be researching these items online, but making their purchases offline.
The information confirms the importance of search to online purchasing and, just as importantly, to online research for offline purchasing.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
comScore Study Confirms the Importance of Search in Influencing Offline Buying
