• by Aaron Baar , October 25, 2016

With high price tags and broad options, consumer electronics are some of the most considered products on the planet, and that’s even before consumers begin actively searching for products. 

According to research from HookLogic, 27% of shoppers say they spend between two and six weeks thinking about their purchase before going online to search for it (compared with 18% of such consideration for average products). Consumers also view an average of 14 product detail pages during the shopping process, with video games and mobile phones topping the categories. 

“They’re probably thinking about the purchase before going online,” Erin Geoghegan, HookLogic’s vice president of marketing, tells Marketing Daily. “It makes sense given how high ticket these items are. Shoppers are being influenced by the consumer electronics brand and their history with them.”

CE consumers are also heavily influenced by product ratings and reviews with 72% citing those resources as having influenced a decision (compared with a 55% average for other products). Product description is also important. Nearly a third (30%) of consumers said they browsed another site due to an inadequate product description on the site they were viewing.

Meanwhile, consumers are also getting more comfortable making CE purchases online. When HookLogic conducted a similar study two years ago, 52% of consumers said they declined to make an online purchase because they couldn’t touch or feel the product. This year, only 44% gave a similar response. Geoghegan cited developments such as more familiarity with products and more generous return policies as factors for the drop. 

“It’s still quite high given the world we live in,” she says. “But retailers are doing a good job putting consumers at ease with their purchases and their need to feel more confident with the price and lifetime value.”