Survey: Free Shipping, Returns and Special Deals Attract More Shoppers Online

A new survey shows that online shoppers are attracted to web sites that offer specials deals, free shipping, and easy returns. Shipping costs seem to be the number one reason why online shoppers get frustrated at their online shopping experience and bargain hunter the number 1 reason for online shopping.

This survey, known as The Consumer Internet Barometer, is made quarterly and it is based on a sample size of 10,000 households. Interesting enough, this Consumer Internet Barometer survey has a very high return rate (70%) according to marketing standards. Data for this survey was acquired during the fourth quarter of 2007.

According to this survey, more than 70 per cent of participants answered that special offers and deals would increase their online holiday spending. These deals should not be available on regular stores since people still like to go shopping the regular way: walking the stores.

Also, more than 50% of respondents said that they should spend more online if merchandise was offered exclusively online and not on a both online and real stores basis.

Fifty per cent of survey participants answered that the possibility of returning online purchased items to a store would make them spend more and purchase more products online while 30% said that free postage for returns would be essential for more online holiday shopping.

When asked what product would they buy or actually buy online, survey participants answered that books, movies, clothes and toys are the most preferred type of shopping web site while their second choice of type of shopping web site preferred (37%) are the online only retailers such as are their top online shopping products' target. Forty-three (43) per cent consumers said that retail and catalogue online shopping web sites such as Walmart.com, BestBuy.com, Amazon.com and Overstock.com.