Female Shoppers Influenced by Peer Recommendations Online

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May 19, 2010
By the ZippyCart Ecommerce Software Reviews Content Team

A recent report from iVillage/SheSpeaks looked deeper into how influence from the online world factors into the shopping habits of women. The wealth of information online has made it extremely easy for women to do the in-depth research needed to make a confident purchase. Online social networks, some of which are geared specifically towards women, are great places for women to read more about a product or discuss it with their peers. Women are already big followers and fans of their top brands on sites like Twitter and Facebook, with roughly half of the female shoppers in the iVillage/SheSpeaks report indicating this was true. However the study indicated that those social pages are not the big driving force causing women to make purchases, and that other factors were more important. Many women want to find coupons online or product reviews, which allow them to get a great deal and gain more confidence that the product is a good buy.

The biggest trend in the study was that 77% of women surveyed were influenced by peer recommendations, with 68% of purchases being driven by coupons. Therefore it is extremely important for brands to find advocates of their products that will promote them online, and the brands need to make sure corresponding coupons are online that will drive more women into their online store and brick and mortar retail stores. The poor economic conditions over the pas few years has allowed women to use resources online to becoming savvier shoppers that will get the best products they need for the lowest price possible. This trend is likely to continue, regardless if the economy improves, as everyone loves getting a deal with a coupon and feeling confident in their purchase based on product reviews.