Key Insights: Amazon search-scape and factors motivating consumers

30-second summary:

• Our previous key insights clearly established that Amazon and Amazon’s Prime Day are elements of ecommerce businesses can’t miss.
• A quick look at the global Amazon search-scape – “Corona keywords” vs “Non-corona keywords”.
• What makes primary or shared decision-makers of households hit “buy now” while shopping online?
• A segmented view of Millenials, Gen Z, Gen X, and baby boomers’ ecommerce influential factors
• How word of mouth is the most powerful agent vs celebrities and influencers, and more.

Our previous key insights clearly established that Amazon and Amazon’s Prime Day are elements of ecommerce businesses can’t miss. This week we take you through what the global Amazon search-scape looks like and the prerequisites to ensure you can create more micro-moments that influence a sale. 

The Amazon search-scape corona vs non-corona related searches

Remazing, a full-service agency, tracked the Top 10/Top 100 Amazon keyword searches across USA, DE, UK, FR, IT, ES markets from Feb to August using Amazon Brand Analytics. Here’s how the countries’ Amazon search-scape looks stacked up from highest to lowest “corona-related keywords”. The Corona-related search basically surrounded disinfectants, masks, gloves, soap, and toilet paper.

Consumers are turning back to normal Amazon searches with non-corona keywords rising as the months progressed.

What’s motivating consumers to buy online

With so many dynamics, getting the pulse of what makes the consumer tick has become tougher. Retail marketing technology company Bluecore and market research firm Dynata surveyed 1,005 U.S. online shoppers to understand consumer behavior and fundamental changes going into Q4 and beyond. The consumers surveyed were the primary or shared decision-makers in their households.  

The most impactful channels for customer acquisition were: 

1. Word of mouth
2. Online ads
3. Influencers
4. Emails
5. Pop up stores
6. Celebrities
7. OOH (out of home) ads 

In fact, word of mouth is the most effective method for existing brands as well as while consumers chose to buy from a new brand.

Contrary to popular belief, celebrities and influencers aren’t great agents for prompting people to buy your products/services.

Further segmentation of channels and their influence on different age groups

Female and male decision-makers less than 45 years old were most influenced by these channels:

1. Word of mouth
2. Online ads
3. Emails

However, 45+ year-olds were least influenced in totality with word of mouth impacting only 59% of their buying decision, followed by online ads at 30%, and email at 40%.

Incentives consumers appreciate while buying online

A deal or no-deal moment can be the factor that hits or rewards your retail business’ bottom line on the internet. How do you create more such moments that can influence your prospective customers to hit the “buy now” button? Bluecore’s research listed the most compelling incentives that drive customers online:

1. Free shipping (61%)
2. Discounts (27%)
3. Membership benefits (6%)
4. Referral rewards (5%)

A closer look at the statistics revealed insights about which incentive appeals which age range more. While free shipping is a universally loved factor, there’s a complete contradiction between what excites baby boomers vs millennials. 

To help you create your mix of the age-appropriate selling pitch, here are details on each of them. For instance, a combination of discount offers and free shipping can amplify your chances of making sales to millennials and Gen X’s counterparts in the 35 to 44 year age range.

Baby boomers’ buying decisions were most impacted by:

1. Free shipping (79%)
2. Discounts (18%)
3. Membership benefits (3%)

Whereas, referral rewards did not excite baby boomers at all.

Gen X’s buying decisions were most impacted by:

1. Free shipping (74%)
2. Discounts (19%)
3. Membership benefits and referral rewards (3% each)

Interestingly, Gen X’s counterparts in the 35 to 44 year age range were impacted by each of these factors which can be credited to the current world scenario and financial strains this particular age group face.

Gen Z’s buying decisions were most impacted by:

1. Free shipping (52%)
2. Discounts (37%)
3. Membership benefits and referral rewards (5% each)

Millennial’s buying decisions were most impacted by:

1. Free shipping (57%)
2. Discounts (29%)
3. Membership benefits (8%)
4. Referral rewards (6%)

ClickZ readers’ choice for the week

Readers have continued to engage with our key insights to uncover ecommerce strategies for the holiday shopping season, the bright side of the death of third-party cookies, and how AR applications are reshaping business.

1. Key Insights: Retail giants closed on Thanksgiving 2020, ecommerce set to see the biggest shopping season
2. Why marketing will improve thanks to the death of third-party cookies
3. Augmented reality examples: 10 industries using AR to reshape business

source https://www.clickz.com/key-insights-amazon-search-scape-and-factors-motivating-consumers/263527/