TWICE: About 25 percent of consumers use the Web as their primary pre-purchase resource, according to a survey conducted exclusively for TWICE by the market research firm Campaigners.
The survey’s purpose was to determine how consumers research technology products when they’re shopping.
Consumers named a number of factors to back up their pre-purchase research process, including their belief that the Web is convenient, available 24/7, includes a broad spectrum of opinions, doesn’t “use pressure tactics,” is unbiased and is free.
However, it seems “word-of-mouth” still has some cachè. The survey found that about 23 percent of consumers use their friends, families and co-workers as their primary source for information on technology products because they’re “trustworthy, reliable, honest, easy to understand and have first-hand knowledge.”
Sales associates also have a fairly significant influence with consumers; 19 percent of those surveyed chose them as their main source of information.
Other noted research sources and methods named by participating consumers included:
- magazines and reviews, 11 percent;
- speaking to someone who already owns the product they’re researching, 10 percent;
- TV, 9 percent; and
- other, 3 percent.