Five Holiday Shopper Archetypes and How to Reach Them [infographic]

by Paul Chaney
in Infographics · Social
— 26 Nov, 2012

Cyber Monday is upon us and, according to the infographic (see below) from marketing company Maxymiser, it has overtaken Black Friday in the total number of shoppers: 122.9 million versus 88.8 million. And the #1 reason? People know they call the shots!

With millions of holiday shoppers going online, the best ways to reach start by understanding shopping behavior, which Maxymiser says can be divided into five archetypes:

1. The Bargain Hunter

This price conscious shopper prides herself on never buying anything at retail prices. 45 percent of Millenials classify themselves as bargain hunters and over 50 percent of the rest of us do the same.

What You Need to Know

Bargain Hunters are looking for a discount of between 20 – 40 percent off the original price and will comparison shop to find the best price. The steeper the discount, the stronger the hook. They expect to find deals when they visit your website.

How to Reach Them

Offer discounts;
Showcase your seasonal deals on the homepage of your site;
Offer a comparison shopping tool.

2. The First-Time Online Shopper

33 percent will try their hand at online shopping for the first time. These “rookies” will need some hand-holding in order to gain your trust.

What You Need to Know

34 percent cite exceptional customer service as a top requirement. Sites that offer clear and easy payment instructions will fare better than others. Like Bargain Hunters, sales and discounts will most influence where they shop. Oh, and these shoppers read online ratings and reviews.

How to Reach Them

Offer customer ratings and reviews and make them a priority;
Add security seals to the checkout page.

3. The Touchy Feely Shopper

These customers like to feel the merchandise. They may be the ones who visit brick and mortar stores first, then buy online. (We call that “showrooming.”)

What You Need to Know

They like 360-degree views of products and high-quality images. When purchasing apparel, they may also purchase several sizes of the same item, then return those that don’t fit.

How to Reach Them

Offer 360-degree product view capability;
Display different color options;
Think like Nordstrom and Zappos and offer free returns.

4. The Needs-Inspiration Shopper

These shoppers need a muse to inspire them. They’re the ones most likely to rely on the opinions of others.

What You Need to Know

37 percent start with search, but 80 percent say email is a big influencer. Product recommendations work for 73 percent and 37 percent say the Internet will influence which brands they buy.

How to Reach Them

Send promotional emails early;
Use targeted recommendations;
Capitalize on social sharing (57 percent are more likely to purchase is they see a friend’s activity on the site).

5. The Last Minute Shopper

That describes me! I always wait until the last minute to shop. I’m looking for sites that can get the merchandise to me in short order.

What You Need to Know

It’s a small percentage, but 3.5 percent wait until the last two weeks of December to shop and 29 percent were influenced by last-minute sales.

How to Reach Them

Provide on-time delivery of purchases;
Provide local pickup options (“ship-to-store”)
Don’t make hurried shoppers search for shipping details.

Conclusion

Obviously, the tactics listed go well beyond the bounds of social commerce. However, the influence of social media cannot be downplayed, especially where the first-time and needs-inspiration shopper are concerned. By offering customer ratings and reviews, Facebook Recommendations, and social sharing options you’ll take advantage of the utility provided by social media.