Talking to Strangers

No conversation about the shopper experience can be had without paying serious attention to the impact of social media on the topic. Consumers have always shared opinions with each other about products, stores, restaurants etc., but now their circle of influence extends past the neighborhood block party to hundreds and perhaps thousands of people on-line. They share their experiences, good and bad, and in many cases help shape the opinions of others.

In fact, there is evidence that conversations among strangers are even more important than those face-to-face among friends. A recent article in Progressive Grocer highlighted a study called, “Conversations Among Consumers,” by on-line retail marketers Ripple6 and The E-Tailing Group. The main point of the study is that, although shoppers buy products based on face-to-face conversations and opinions shared on social networking sites, it’s the Twitters, Facebooks and MySpaces of the world that carry the most influence. Sixty-seven percent of the consumers spend at least an hour per week in these communities.

The difference is slight, but important. Of 1,000 on-line shoppers, 46 percent said they value product information from friends, while 47 percent trust on-line customer reviews to help make decisions. These consumers seek information from experts, people they consider to be like them and various product comparison tools. Forty-three percent said they make buying decisions based on these on-line conversations. Whether they buy or not, 65 percent said they found value in connecting with other shoppers.

What about after the sale? Eighty-three percent of on-line shoppers share information about the product they selected. That translates into a staggering number of walking, talking commercials for your brand. Listening to your customers and getting it right the first time has never been more important.