Ecommerce sales are reaching unprecedented growth. Bolstered by a banner 2020, online sales growth slowed briefly in 2021 and 2022, but according to research firm Forrester, it now accounts for more than 15% of total market share — the second-highest level in history.
While this bodes well for ecommerce brands, there’s a caveat: Consumer buying behavior has changed.
Salsify’s “2023 Consumer Research” found that while 68% of customers say they’re shopping more online, 96% say that rising costs have changed how they shop. Now, 73% are looking for discounts or free delivery, 71% are delaying large purchases, and 43% are spending more time on pre-purchase research to find the best value for their dollar.
The result is a new path to purchase — one that’s messier, more complicated, and less predictable. With the right approach, however, brands can make the most of the mess and better navigate new purchase paths.
Different Roads, Same Stops: The New Path To Purchase
The path to purchase still has four familiar stops (or stages): awareness, consideration, purchase, and post-purchase.
What’s changed isn’t the stops themselves but how customers get to these stops and what they do when they arrive. This shift is the impact of personalization — the channels, interactions, and services that provide tailor-made experiences for buyers. Done well, these personalized efforts can drive increased sales.
For ecommerce brands, success on the new path starts with understanding each stage.
Stage 1: Awareness
This stage is all about information gathering, and social media sites and search engines are excellent resources.
Consider an ecommerce company that sells high-quality sunglasses. From a search engine perspective, the brand should focus on ranking on the first page of search engine results. They can achieve this with search engine optimization (SEO) keywords such as “where to buy good sunglasses” or “high-quality sunglasses online.”
Market research can also help pinpoint target audiences and determine which social media platforms are the best fit.
Stage 2: Consideration
Buyers are evaluating their options during the consideration phase. They’re considering characteristics such as price, availability, quality, and customer support.
It’s here that customer journeys start to diverge.
For the online sunglasses brand, this means that some potential buyers might dig into website and social media reviews for real-world reports about material quality, longevity, and performance.
Other customers might prioritize price, asking, “Has the brand offered sales or discounts recently? Is there a bonus or discount for first-time purchases?”
Stage 3: Purchase
The purchase stage can also take several forms depending on users' shopping preferences. While 68% of customers are more likely to buy either in-store or on a retail website, 38% use retail apps, and 24% have made purchases through a search engine, according to Salsify consumer research.
The online sunglasses brand will be more likely to succeed if it offers multiple purchase options, like mobile-native options that allow purchases directly from applications.
Direct “buy now” links from search engines are also becoming more common as users integrate search functionality into their decision-making process.
Stage 4: Post-Purchase
Post-purchase follow-up is important to keep customers coming back. For the sunglasses brand, this could be as simple as a follow-up email and survey asking for feedback, or it could be a discount on the customer’s next purchase. Other options include referral codes or points earned for each purchase.
Managing the Messy Middle
Personalization looks different for every customer. The word gives it away — you can’t have personalization without making it personal. While brick-and-mortar brands are limited in their ability to offer personalized experiences, online shopping allows complete freedom to create customer-centric journeys.
This has led to what Google calls the “messy middle” — the different ways that shoppers process the information they discover during the consideration stage on the path to purchase.
Google defines two mental modes in the mess: exploration and evaluation. Exploration focuses on learning more about products or services, while evaluation sees consumers considering the value of the purchase in terms of its price, quality, and usability.
Here’s what a messy middle journey might look like for two consumers who are both part of a brand’s target audience.
Awareness
Customer One is constantly on social media. Customer Two doesn’t care for it but enjoys online shopping for the convenience. To capture both buyers’ interests, brands need an omnichannel strategy that connects with both customer types.
Consideration
Customer One is all about authoritative reviews: Do they know anyone who’s purchased the product? Can they find reviews with images, videos, and descriptions of product performance in real life?
Customer Two prefers to evaluate quality for themselves. As a result, they’re looking for detailed product and material descriptions, along with information about how products are produced.
Purchase
Customer One prefers to purchase on their mobile device. Mobile apps with secure checkouts are their ideal choice.
Customer Two wants the certainty that comes with more traditional ecommerce websites and carts.
Post-Purchase
Send Customer One the occasional direct message (DM), and they’ll keep coming back. Customer Two will feel valued if they receive consistent communication.
What This Means for Ecommerce
If ecommerce brands want to succeed, they need to embrace the messy middle rather than avoid it. While there’s no comprehensive clean-up strategy, here are three ways to better manage the mess.
Create an Omnichannel Ecosystem
There’s no single starting point for customer contact because purchase paths aren’t straight lines. As a result, brands must create an omnichannel ecosystem that lets buyers connect with brands at their convenience.
Not every brand needs to use every channel. For example, while the sunglass brand might do well on TikTok, it might not be the best platform for a financial services firm.
Ecommerce companies may also consider implementing omnichannel tech that bridges digital and physical gaps, such as virtual try-on tools.
Get Social — and Stay Social
Social media channels can help brands get noticed and drive increased sales — if companies streamline the purchasing process. Once social users make a decision, they don’t want to wade through content and product pages. They want a direct link to purchase. Salsify consumer research reports that 42% of customers have bought products directly through social media.
Companies also need to track and engage with customer feedback. With 43% of buyers researching reputation, customer service, and delivery times before making a purchase, brands need to be aware of what’s being said about them and be prepared to engage with customers directly to resolve any issues.
Build Better Product Detail Pages (PDPs)
Fifty-five percent of customers say they won’t make a purchase online if product content is poor, according to Salsify consumer research.
To combat this, ecommerce brands should create product detail pages (PDPs) that are consistent across platforms, accurate to the latest price and inventory data, and provide pertinent information.
Embracing the Mess
When it comes to the messy middle, ecommerce brands have two choices: Manage it effectively to drive increased sales, or ignore it and watch customers go elsewhere.
While the first choice requires a recognition of the evolving purchase path and the need for a mature approach to ecommerce storefronts, making the most of the messy middle can help companies future-proof their purchase processes.
