92% of first-time website visitors are there for reasons other than to make a purchase

According to Episerver’s survey of more than 1,000 consumers most (92%) visit a brand’s website for the first time for reasons other than to make a purchase. Forty-five percent visit a website during product discovery – searching for products – while a quarter are carrying out price comparison and more than 1 in 10 are looking for store details.

Yet, many online brands continue to focus on conversion rates and do not concentrate on the content customers see and the experiences they have while interacting with the brand online.

“What shoppers see on a website or mobile app, and how it is delivered to them, can make or break their final decision to make a purchase,” said Ed Kennedy, senior director, commerce at Episerver. “Consumers expect the content they’re shown to be relevant, accurate and, increasingly, customized to their preferences and location. To compete in 2017, strong content is no longer negotiable.”

Of those consumers who intend to make a purchase online, 60% go directly to the product page for the item they are looking for, found the survey. Another 18% look at sales items first and 7% look for customer testimonials before anything else.

Episerver’s report, ‘Reimagining Commerce‘, can be downloaded free of charge.