Where Do You Start Your Product Search?

44% of people go directly to Amazon to start their product searches, compared to 34% who use search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo to search for products

A new survey from Episerver discovered 24 percent of online shoppers always compare what they find on a brand or retail website to available products on Amazon, with 44 percent often doing the same — making a total of 68 percent who are either always or often cross-referencing products on Amazon.

Meanwhile, only 17 percent of the online shoppers said the primary reason they visited a brand’s website for the first time was to make a purchase. For most, the primary reason they visited a brand website was to search for a product or compare prices between brands.

The “Reimagining Commerce” report surveyed more than 4,500 global online shoppers to gather online retail insights, including where consumers began their search for products, the online services they want most in an e-commerce site, the role social plays in online shopping, and more.

Where the online shopping journey begins. It doesn’t matter if an online shopper already has a product in mind or if they are simply browsing for inspiration — most begin their online shopping journey on a marketplace like Amazon.

For shoppers with a specific product in mind, 46 percent start the process on a marketplace — as do 39 percent of shoppers who are simply browsing. (The survey found 75 percent of shoppers claimed either all or many of their online purchases were pre-planned). If they are not starting their online shopping experience on a site like Amazon, then online shoppers are most likely turning to Google. Only 34 percent of online shoppers (both those with a product in mind and those who are browsing), begin by visiting a brand or retailer’s website.