Consumers visiting appliance websites that have strong content and are easy to navigate are more likely to visit stores and make additional purchases, according to new research by J.D. Power. Appearance and speed are also contributing factors when it comes to the perceptions consumers develop about an appliance site's usefulness.
The most important content on an appliance site are product reviews (69 percent) and pricing (64 percent), according to the study's respondents. Retailer sites (77 percent) are the most likely place where consumers will research appliances compared to brand sites (57 percent) and search engines or portals (42 percent).
The retailer sites that respondents found most useful were Lowe's, Best Buy and Home Depot. Lowe's earned a score of five (among the best) by J.D. Power while Best Buy and Home Depot received fours (better than most).
Sears matched the industry average with a score of three while Costco and h.h. gregg received twos.
Source: homedepot.com
Consumers are much more likely to express satisfaction with an appliance site when using a desktop computer or laptop versus a mobile device. The biggest advantage consumers identify with computers vs. mobile devices is speed. There was a 20 percent gap between those expressing satisfaction with a desktop or laptop to access a retailer's site versus those using mobile devices.
Despite the performance gap, appliance shoppers are increasingly using mobile devices to conduct their online research. The percentage of shoppers going the mobile route currently stands at 26 percent, up from 20 percent in 2013.
Consumers using mobile devices are more likely to use a mobile-enhanced website than an app when researching an appliance. Seventy-two percent who use retailer mobile sites do so to get price information, 70 percent to find a store's location and 66 percent read reviews.
"The rising use of mobile is changing the appliance shopping experience. With a smartphone or tablet, shoppers can access and compare pricing while at a store and even locate another store," said Christina Cooley, director of home improvement industries at J.D. Power, in a statement. "Since satisfaction with websites via mobile lags satisfaction via desktop, in addition to considering content and ease of use, it is important brands and retailers consider how the appliance shopping experience is evolving and work to improve such aspects of the experience as speed."