In its report, “B2C Retail Benchmark Report, Q1 2020,” Episerver analyzed data from nearly four billion of its client website sessions in 2017, 2018 and 2019 to draw conclusions about consumer behavior on retail and brand websites. Episerver works with marketers and merchandisers to create digital experiences for customers.
Among the important findings, the research finds that organic social and social ads are on the rise. Organic social media is anything that happens on social media without paid promotion (and therefore contrasts with paid media promotions). In relation to this area, the research finds that 29 percent of consumers reported clicking on a social media ad at least once and 28 percent reported they have clicked and completed a purchase from a social advert. These figures indicate the strength of this type of campaign strategy.
Smartphones are increasingly more important than laptops for accessing content. The report finds that 51 percent of consumers reported that the number of times they have reached for their smartphone instead of a laptop to shop online has increased.
Bounce rates are hovering: across all devices bounce rates are approximately 43 percent with tablet having the lowest bounce rate and desktop having the highest.
Commenting on the research, former SAP exec and newly appointed CEO of Episerver, Alex Atzberger, tells Digital Journal: “The research shows that getting customers to click through on social is not enough. Strong and personalized content remains king to create meaningful experiences that resonate with shoppers.”
In terms of what can be learned from the research, Atzberger adds: “Retailers must invest in a relevant post-click experience as people increasingly discover products and companies by swiping, not searching.”
