Social media more a means to an end for men
A new study from Shoppercentric suggests men are more likely to use social media to shop while women prefer to use social media to interact with others, with the male gender apparently embracing social media as a whole than their female counterparts. The headline figures in the report revealed: 38% of men own a smartphone compared to just 29% of women. While 56% of those surveyed use Facebook a gender gap is evident with 60% of women Facebook users compared to just 52% of men. Shopping is where the gender difference is really highlighted with men much more likely to choose ecommerce than women. 14% of men said they shopped using apps, but only 8% of women do – although this is partly off-set by the different uptake of smartphones across the genders. In the hunt for a bargain, 27% of male shoppers admitted to using price comparison sites, while only 19% of women do. Interestingly, while the internet may offer an easier direct route direct to brands for the consumer, the traditional choice of going to a shop stocking a range of brands is still favoured – even online. 75% of those surveyed said they had visited retail websites, but only 33% said they had gone to brand websites. The figures offer a useful insight for marketeers looking at the best way to connect with potential customers. Of some concern is that while two thirds would buy online, only 6% were likely to do so social media. This may be due to the lack of opportunity at present and the early evolution of ecommerce via social media but is something retailers need to consider addressing. In terms of social media, the main reasons given for customers connecting with brands was found to be: 32% – finding out something new 23% – for brands to connect with them 24% – to be sold something by brands 12% – for brands or retailers to help them have fun Revealingly, more than half (54%) of people thought brands or retailers used social media to sell more products, while 43% thought it was “because everyone else is”. The report also highlighted the reasons consumers chose to follow brands on social media: 32% – feel part of a group 29% – to be part of a forum 10% – for discounts or promotions 6% – to complain The tone of social media should also be considered given the results of age group and their use of brand engagement through social networks. The strongest age group was revealed as 16-24 year olds at 38% but within the 35-44 year old bracket (18%) and 45-54 (8%) and 55+(0%) there is clearly work to be done to get them to embrace brand offerings via social media, particularly when 56% of the 55+ age group said they could not see the point of social networking. While some of the results may not be surprising, the breakdown of how different age-groups and genders use social media to interact could and should help brands develop their own social media policies. Do you buck the trend? Do these results surprise you?
Transacting online – almost a way of life
The latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index report out last week showed that the number of online transactions continues to rise as more and more people accept it as the quickest and easiest way of doing business. The report revealed a spend of £5.1 billion during January in total equating to a year-on-year increase of 21% Unsurprisingly, in the dark weeks of the opening month of the year, there was much interest in people making future travel plans. A year-on-year increase of 31% for the travel sector and a massive 173% increase on December 2010 meant more and more people surfing and clicking to sunnier climes. Interestingly, despite the economic times, the average basket value for travel sector transactions was also at its highest (£886) since the launch of monitoring of the sector in December 2008. If going away was popular in the January spends, home was too. There was impressive growth too in the home and garden sector, after five months of annual decline. Up 56% year-on-year an average basket spend of £120 perhaps reflected the expected early spring after December’s snow. It seems 2011 could be a much healthier year too. Alcohol sales in January declined by 67% after some strong Christmas spending. You can read the full report here. Are you spending more online? Are you noticing customers putting more faith in online transactions?
Whatever next?
This blogger has been online for too many years to mention and one of my earliest ‘jobs’ was reviewing new websites submitted to a then leading search engine – oh how things have changed. So it is fair to say that I have come across websites about pretty much every subject under the sun, doing almost anything that is physically possible – and many things that are not. However, the world of online still continues to amaze and excite with a prime example the details landing in my inbox of the launch of a new site today called Hauctions. Hauctions, I am led to believe is “an international horse auction site providing the world’s first automated online auction environment for trading animals”. Now I’ve been using online auction sites for as long as I’ve been online and seen many come and go, but I have to admit I don’t ever recall seeing an equine ebay-style site before. Horse breeders and horse agents from across the world have united apparently to “drag the age old tradition of selling horses at auction into the modern age by using the internet to match the right horse to the right buyer at the right price, whether 50 or 5000 miles away”. The actually auctioning doesn’t commence until April but from today those with interest in selling and buying horses can pre-register with the site, and by doing so have a chance to ‘win’ a spanish horse. I for one wish them well in the new venture, though I am not sure I presently have the need or desire to pre-register. I just wonder what will be next. Perhaps the trading of professional footballers in the next football transfer window?
Is Facebook set to unify platforms?
As more and more applications are developed and consumers continue to be led by social media, could it be that instead of HTML5 driven websites, 2011 will become all about developing enhanced presences on Facebook for your business? It seems online retailer ASOS certainly have that thought in their mind. They have announced that they will launch a fully transactional Facebook shop, allowing people to buy from its entire range from within the social network. It is thought that the ASOS Facebook app will be one of the first, certainly from a big brand, that will allow people to buy directly from a brand without leaving Facebook. In the past Facebook apps have been used as a shop-front for sales, directing customers interested in products through to the brand’s main website to carry out transactions. This however, will lower clicks, improving conversion rates and also keep customers within the same social network environment. With changes in data usage and charges by mobile phone networks in the past year, the mobile shopping experience has probably not progressed as quickly as many may have expected. However, with many of those same networks including ‘free unlimited’ usage of applications like Facebook, transactions within a Facebook store like this could technically be free to customers, removing one of the biggest barriers to mobile ecommerce take-up. ASOS says it will have its entire stock – which is ever growing at the rate of 1,300 products each week – on the Facebook store. The app will also allow for ‘peer-review’ of products with like buttons and comments being enabled to assist customers in making their purchasing decisions. As a customer of ASOS from its very early beginnings I am for one am certainly looking forward to seeing how it works and if it will change the way people do ecommerce. Would you consider buying via a Facebook application? Would you consider using a Facebook application to sell your goods?