Search Engines Drive Traffic to Shopping Sites

"While visits to shopping sites are claiming a record share of total holiday season Web visits, search engines are continuing to contribute high levels of shopping referrals."

According to the latest research, search engines are increasing the amount of traffic that they refer to other shopping sites. This shows the importance of shopping sites being represented effectively in the search engine rankings.

The article reports Google as being the most effective, "Google contributed 4.26 percent of visits to shopping sites last week, while Yahoo! Search contributed 2.24 percent and MSN Search 0.54 percent." This distribution is consistent with the search results that we have regularly reported in our classes.

Another interesting finding of the study is the differences in types of shoppers that frequent the different search engines. Special strengths were noted as follows:

· Google: Books, Sports and Fitness, and Music.

· Yahoo!: Video and Games, Automotive and Classifieds.

· MSN: Apparel & Accessories, House & Garden and Appliances & Electronics.

How search engines affect purchases.

comScore Study Reveals the Impact of Search Engine Usage on Consumer Buying: "The comScore research studied the buying activity of Internet users who conducted a consumer electronics or computer (CE/C) search at one of the top 25 search engines in Q1 2004. Among the other findings, the study revealed that 25 percent of searchers ultimately purchased a CE/C product and that an estimated 92 percent of these purchases occurred offline. Among the 8 percent of post-search purchases that were made online, the vast majority occurred in subsequent user sessions (not directly after a search click-through). "

The study goes on to point out that most (85%) of purchases occurred later than the original search, in other words, the user came back another time before making a purchase!

They also point out that few purchasers utilize product specific search terms (for example, "Sony Plasma KE-42M1”). Their finding emphasizes that marketers have to appeal to their prospects on the basis of more general terms (such as, “plasma TV”). This is consistent with our recommendation that webmasters utilize both general and specific terms on their sites.

In our classes, we have shown how to utilize "down-list" terms, or, those terms that appear in your site statistics further down the list of keywords that have brought visitors to your site. Previous classes have also covered the concept of the "sales funnel", where prospects enter the funnel on more general search terms and work their way down the funnel to the purchase decision, often by refining their search terms. Capturing traffic on the general terms at the beginning of the funnel is an important element in converting the traffic later in the process!

As the representative of Overture (who sponsored the study) said, “This research supports the theory that all types of terms play an important role in influencing the consumer’s purchase decision.”

A new marketing tool arrives!

The Hidden (in Plain Sight) Persuaders -_"a growing number of marketers organizing veritable armies of hired ''trendsetters'' or ''influencers'' or ''street teams'' to execute ''seeding programs,'' ''viral marketing,'' ''guerrilla marketing.'' What were once fringe tactics are now increasingly mainstream; there is even a Word of Mouth Marketing Association. "

This article describes a promotion method that utilizes people who like your product to expand your marketing efforts. This is similar to what we talk about in encouraging you to create an effective newsletter for your site, but it goes a little further. The "agents" in this approach are encouraged to report back on their activities and are supported with suggestions for ways that they can spread the word about the product.

Some are offered incentives to participate, but the article points out that many of them do not claim the rewards that are set up for them. Participation in the promotion of a product that they like is sufficient reward for them. It is great to have marketing reps who will work for free!

Copernic Desktop Search - The Search Engine for Your PC

"Easily search your entire hard drive in less than a second to pinpoint the right file, e-mail, music or pictures."

Google is behind on this one! I have tried both and found CDS preferable. In my case, it has to do with what drives the application will allow you to search, but there are more differences between the apps. Try it for yourself and see what you think. It is a free download and installed easily and trouble-free on my system.