Most Online Purchases Still Start with a Search

Link to the article on search at ScribdI’m finally catching up on some of my dense reading.  In terms of online services, that means taking to Scribd.  One of the articles I bookmarked (was it really way back in February?!?) has the exciting title: “The VirtuousCircle – The Role of Search and SocialMedia in the Purchase Pathway.”

But beyond the academic title, it confirms something we already know, but really need to actively keep in the front of our collective marketing minds: 60% of online purchases start with a search.  Not a catalog.  Not a visit to a store.  Not a postcard.  Not a blog post.  Not a tweet.  Not a Facebook status update.

This is one of the reasons that, for all the talk about Facebook and Apple, Google is still the frontrunner in the race for world domination.  As the authors of the study state:

The ubiquity of search is also revealed in this study. Survey respondents say the top reasons they use search first are: the quality and scale of information, the fact that they always use it, and because search is easy to use.

So the question is, is your website optimized for search?  Here’s a good way to find out: attend one of our Google 101 and Google 201 workshops.  The next set are happening in Westminster (Denver Metro area) on August 17 and 18th.  Click here to read a description of the classes on our sister website: Colorado Web Workshops.

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