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Who is winning the shopping search race — Amazon or Google?

Written by Guest contributor

Photo: @5byseven via Twenty20

MarketingCharts staff Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of articles from MarketingCharts, which provides up-to-the-minute data and research to marketers. Google is most often the first destination for shoppers looking for inspiration (32 percent) or for those starting their purchase journey with a specific product in mind (31 percent), according to the latest research from Episerver. There have been conflicting reports about whether Google or Amazon.com are favored for product searches, with some studies indicating Amazon has surpassed Google in recent years. Episerver indicates that Amazon rivals Google when it comes to shoppers who intend to make a purchase, with 28 percent choosing the online marketplace as their first stop for shopping. Shoppers are less inclined to use Amazon as a destination for inspiration, however. Only 23 percent of respondents report they visit the website first if they are just browsing. The research found that just 20 percent of online consumers indicate that all of their online purchases are pre-planned. Fifty-five percent responded that many are pre-planned, 22 percent said a few and only two percent said none. The global survey study found shoppers visiting other marketing places, retailer/brand websites and social media to a much lesser degree for both planned and unplanned purchases. Voice shopping, led by devices from Amazon and Google, is slowly gaining in popularity. According to the study:
  • Twenty-two percent of respondents used voice devices to research multiple times a month, up from 12 percent last year;
  • Seventeen percent make multiple voice purchases monthly or more frequently, compared to 11 percent last year.
The top barriers preventing online shoppers from making more purchases via voice-enabled devices were: lack of security features, 43 percent; lack of product images, 35 percent; difficulty comparing products, 33 percent; difficulty researching products, 31 percent; lack of product information via voice, 26 percent; and lack of payment options, 24 percent.

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