The Buyers’ Path to Conversion

We’re sticklers for good stats, so here are some handpicked numbers from our Google Partner Event this week:

Decreasing Store Traffic

In-store traffic is decreasing. However, when shoppers do go in-store, they’re spending more.

25% of consumers who clicked on a retailer’s Google Search ad before visiting the store are over 25% more likely to buy something in-store and they spend 10% more on average.

To Coupon or Not To Coupon?

Not sure if coupons and discounts are worth the time and effort? If you’re worried that you are annoying your customers with suggestions based on your business’s interaction with them, you might actually be making their journey easier! While mass messages are meaningless, shoppers expect personalization and relevancy:

7 out of 10 users are looking for promotions before they visit a store
9 out of 10 consumers would buy from a company that best predicts their intent and suggests products
49% of smartphone owners prefer to shop on a mobile site or app that recommends brands or products based on their past preferences
42% of people expect brands to send a notification to their phone whenever a product they’ve expressed interest goes on sale
91% of smartphone owners purchased or planned to purchase something after seeing an ad they describe as relevant

Reach shoppers when they’re ready to purchase by using enhanced cost per click and target return on ad spend.

The Evolving Role of Physical Stores

Local searches on mobile devices are growing 50% faster than mobile searches overall
81% of shoppers checked whether a product was in-stock before they physically visited the store to purchase it
Mobile searches related to store pickup grew more than 3x in 2016
1 in 10 smartphone users are certain about the specific brand they want to buy when they first begin searching for information online
2/3 of smartphone users agree that when conducting a search on their smartphones, they look for the most relevant information regardless of brand
8 in 10-holiday shoppers were influenced by online sources before purchasing

Meet Shoppers Everywhere, Whenever!

Highlight local inventory – send customers to your store
Use location targeting – bid more for customers that are nearest to you
Enable time of day bid adjustments – push ads during the hours you are open

Creating a Seamless Experience Across Devices

Does your site take longer than 3 seconds to load? 53% of users will leave a site if it takes longer than 3 seconds and for every 1-second delay in mobile site load time, conversions fall 20%.

Companies that had a seamless experience across devices experienced:

90% higher click through rate
80% higher viewability

A Comprehensive Audience Strategy Includes:

Remarketing lists – re-engage higher value audiences
Customer match – target customers you already know
Similar audiences – reach users similar to your current all-star customers

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Additional Insights on Decreasing Store Traffic

According to the National Retail Federation, the average American family spends about $1,700 annually on clothes, yet physical store visits have declined by 50% over the past decade. This trend underscores the need for retailers to enhance in-store experiences to maximize the value of each visit.

Research by Deloitte indicates that customers engaging with online reviews and recommendations are 29% more likely to spend more in-store, especially when they have a personalized shopping experience.

Detailed Examination of Coupons and Discounts

A study by RetailMeNot found that 68% of consumers believe digital coupons build brand awareness and customer loyalty. Additionally, 77% of consumers reported they spend $10-$50 more than intended when redeeming a promotion.

Target Corporation reported a 15% increase in sales after implementing personalized coupon strategies, emphasizing the power of targeted promotions in influencing buying behavior.

Impact of Personalized Marketing on Consumer Behavior

Harvard Business Review highlights that personalized marketing can deliver five to eight times the ROI on marketing spend and lift sales by 10% or more. Amazon’s recommendation engine, a prime example, accounts for 35% of the company’s total sales.

Role of Physical Stores in the Digital Age

The International Council of Shopping Centers found that 76% of consumers prefer to shop in stores that also have a strong online presence. Best Buy’s strategy of integrating online and offline channels resulted in a 15% increase in year-over-year sales.

Walmart reported that customers who shop both online and in-store spend nearly twice as much as those who only shop in-store. This statistic emphasizes the importance of a robust omnichannel strategy.

Mobile Search Trends and Their Influence on In-Store Visits

Google’s data indicates that 30% of all mobile searches are related to location. Starbucks capitalized on this by optimizing their mobile app for local searches, leading to a 20% increase in foot traffic to their stores.

Maximizing Local Inventory and Targeting Techniques

Retailers like Target use location-based marketing to send push notifications about local inventory, resulting in a 25% increase in in-store visits. Enabling time-of-day bid adjustments can further refine ad targeting, as Macy’s found that targeting ads during peak shopping hours increased click-through rates by 18%.

Enhancing Mobile Site Performance for Better Conversion Rates

Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool recommends that websites should aim for a load time under 2 seconds to minimize bounce rates. According to Akamai, a one-second delay in page load time can lead to a 7% loss in conversions.

Developing a Comprehensive Audience Strategy

Remarketing lists have shown to increase conversion rates by 161%, as seen with companies like Booking.com. Customer match strategies used by brands like Sephora have led to a 20% increase in ROI by targeting repeat customers with tailored promotions.

Utilizing similar audiences can expand reach effectively; Facebook’s Lookalike Audiences have been shown to reduce cost-per-acquisition by up to 56% for advertisers.

Final Considerations for a Seamless User Experience

A seamless cross-device experience is crucial, as Adobe reports that 79% of users switch devices during an activity. Companies like Nike have streamlined their mobile and desktop sites, resulting in a 30% increase in mobile conversions.

For further details and strategies on optimizing the buyer’s path to conversion, refer to authoritative sources like the National Retail Federation and Deloitte’s consumer behavior reports.