Online Shoppers Do it Differently Says Study
February 26th, 2007 by pamela
A new study has shown a clear difference in the way users search when looking for information and when they shop online.
The eye tracking study, by De Vos & Jansen Market Research with Search Engine Mediabureau Checkit, showed that users look at more results when shopping and are more brand orientated than people looking for information only.
The study examined the searching habits of those focused on five major shopping sectors; loans, vehicles, insurance, travel and electronic.
Among the findings were that internet users have the attention span of a gnat (this may be insulting to gnats. My apologies), with users viewing a search result for 1.1 second. This shows just how important it is to really get your page title and description right – if you only have 1.1 second to sell your product or promote your brand, it better be good.
The survey also showed that buyers viewed more search results (10) and took more time to view the results (11,4 seconds) than information seekers who viewed only 8 results and spent less time on them (9.4 seconds).
I guess that these figures really show how much importance is placed on the first impression. Its key to know what users might be looking for and how to deliver that information. A page should do ‘exactly what it says on the tin’, so if you are providing an information page on how Acme chocolates are made, your titles and description need to accurately convey that rather than simply providing a generic ‘Acme Chocolates - They’re Yummy’ type title.
Understanding the types of keywords which separate a buyer from an information hunter is the key to pitching your page just right. 1.1 seconds and that chance is gone.
Posted in Stats & Research |
