Brits increasingly turn to Internet to research, compare and purchase

More research shows that British consumers are conducting more online transactions and increasingly making use of the Internet, and social media in particular, to research and compare products online.

by Helen Leggatt

According to a survey commissioned by UK-based CRM and loyalty specialists, The Loyalty Practice, over half (53%) of adult Internet users in Britain say they are conducting more online transactions.

This is in part due to the ability to compare and research products before easily making a purchasing decision, something that three-quarters of British consumers now do. Around 84% of consumers are more likely to check online for product reviews before making a purchasing decision, found the survey.

UK-based brand communication firm Brand Reputation recently surveyed over 800 British consumers to ascertain whether online reviews influenced their purchase decisions. They found that around 84% of consumers were more likely to search the Internet for reviews before making a purchase than they were a year ago.

It's well known that the majority of consumers now use the Internet to check out product reviews, but social media is increasingly playing its part in the decision-making process.

In The Loyalty Practice's survey, three-quarters of consumers cited social media as having an effect on their choice of retailer and over half (51%) had their online transactions directly influenced by social media.

Tags: ecommerce, online reviews, online shopping, online transactions, product reviews, social media