Remember a time when if you wanted to read a review of a product you had to search through back issues of Consumer Reports?  They would even include a little index in each issue to help you find the month you needed, but if they hadn’t gotten around to toaster ovens in the last year you were just out of luck.  How did we survive in such conditions?  Was there even indoor plumbing back then?

Now if you’re in the market for a great toaster oven (and who isn’t?) you can find three different independent reviews (including Consumer Reports) and hundreds of personal opinions on just about any model after .15 seconds of a Google search.   Product research has become so easy it has forever changed the way we shop and even the way we define shopping.

Mark Penn, the author of Microtrends, recently wrote a Wall Street Journal article highlighting the kind of consumer that he calls the “new info shopper.” This consumer has adapted their shopping behavior to the detailed information available online for just about all products and services.  Before they purchase a product (whether at a brick-and-mortar store or online), they first search online for all the information they can find – including the company’s site, independent review sites and consumer opinion sites.  The more detail they can get, the better.  Gone are the days when they would feel comfortable making the decision on a new car purchase based on some great ads, a brochure from the dealer and Uncle Darrell’s recommendation.  

Penn’s study found that this pre-purchase research by consumers is spreading from big ticket items to the more mundane, such as a new vacuum cleaner or cell phone service.  Items that only the most passionate deal-seekers would once have researched with their well-worn copies of Consumer Reports are now the subjects of thousands of websites and blogs.  The “new info shopper” wants that feeling of getting the best deal on the best product regardless if it is an electric car or an electric toothbrush.

Penn readily admits that the “new info shopper” is much more than a microtrend; it is significant change in the way the majority of consumers look at making a purchasing decision.  He reports, “An astonishing 70% of Americans now say they consult product reviews or consumer ratings before they make their buying decisions.”  The powerful influence of the customer testimonial has long been accepted, and now it is evolving to touch nearly every product and service available (a kind of Angie’s List of Everything).  A Marketing Sherpa study (2007) found that 58% of Internet users preferred a site that offered customer reviews of their product or service.  And only 5% of users in that same study reported any negative association with sites that showed reviews.

So how can we as marketers use this insight into the consumer’s buying process to sell more product?  Here are two suggestions -

1)  Provide as much detail on your website about your product or service as possible. 

This doesn’t mean you have to give up the well-written sales copy you have on your product pages, but it does mean you should also have real data on the specifications and features of your product or service readily available.  And why not include a comparison chart of your features compared to the competition?  You know your potential customer is creating just such a chart in their head as they review all their options so why not fill in a few of the cells for them?  The more details they can get from your site, the less additional sites they will need to visit before they feel comfortable making their purchase decision.

2)  Post customer testimonials and allow customers to post their product or service reviews.

No need to yell at your screen, I know what you are thinking: “But what if customers post negative reviews?”  Well, first of all, fix the issue that they had so their voice does not go unheard, and if you’re getting a great deal of negative reviews, you have bigger problems than which site they are being posted on.  But wouldn’t you rather hear the criticism directly and in a forum where you can address it than have a “YourProductSucks.com” site built for you? 

Even if you do feel the need to sanitize some of the criticism, you are still better off allowing the customer reviews.  Reviews on a company’s site are likely already seen as having a positive bias, but that doesn’t seem to negate their effectiveness; they just turn into mini-testimonials.

Have a better idea for capitalizing on the “new info shopper,” or just want to review my blog post?  Feel free to comment below; I promise not to screen it if it’s negative.

Everyone agrees that you do NOT get a second chance to make a first impression. Companies spend a lot of time and money thinking about tradeshows, brochures, business cards, logos and other forms of collateral. The part that amazes me is how little thought (or understanding) is given towards their web site.

A web site is more than a first impression. It is your Director of First Impressions. In most organizations, Director level positions are held by those who are experienced enough to make strategic decisions on behalf of the company. Directors also carry the accountability that goes along with this level of responsibility. Suggesting that a company place a $10/hr temporary employee in a Director role would be completely out of the question.

Is your web site a Director of First Impressions (i.e. experienced, responsible, leading users in the right direction) or is it a $10/hr temporary employee that’s more interested in doing its own thing and leading people off your site by design or lack of support? Do you pay your web site what it’s worth or is it an underpaid, underdeveloped representative of your company?

As fiscal budgets are being reviewed, perhaps it is time to evaluate what you are willing to pay (spend on) your website.