What brings you back to an online store?

In the real world you might visit a favorite shop because it's convenient to your house or job or because you're friendly with your local merchant. Things are a bit different online. A recent survey by DoubleClick Performics and The e-Tailing Group Inc. found that 48% of the online shoppers surveyed were somewhat loyal to Internet merchants based on a variety of factors such as good value, superior store service and the right mix of products. The survey asked customers what kept them returning to various merchants and what effect the use of rewards programs had on customer returns. Rewards customers, the survey found, care less about price and more about features than enhance the shopping experience. Women are more likely to register at a site or be influenced by an e-mail campaign.

What perks do online shoppers value most? Free shipping topped the list, with rebates, coupons and deals also ranking highly. Efficient customer service is also important and the ability to track the order online is also seen as a valuable service. The top online merchants included eBay.com. Overstock.com, QVC and Wal-Mart with Amazon, ranked far and away as the online retailer that customers feel most loyal to. Likely this is because Amazon offers many of the features listed above that customers value such as free shipping options, the ability to track and order and the use of promotional emails.

Our own recent online shopping poll, conducted for ShopSmart magazine, also had some interesting results, including a finding that women spend an average of 1.2 hours per week shopping online, and that 18% do most of their online shopping from work. More online shopping tips and info from ShopSmart are available here.