Editor's note: Nitin Sharma is CEO of Gold Research, San Antonio, Texas. This is an edited version of a post that originally appeared here under the title, “Online path to purchase (P2P).”

A consumer has many options for locating the products they want and need, and the Internet plays a vital role in the behavior of consumers both through research and easier access to a supply of products. The ability for businesses to understand the difference between online and retail paths-to-purchase allows a company to do more with their online marketing strategies.

The online path-to-purchase for consumers, in general, is a more linear approach to customer behavior than the in-store path-to-purchase and the online shopping experience has fewer steps. The differences between both aren’t numerous but it is vital to consider these differences when creating marketing tactics.

Pre-shopping 

The pre-shopping experience for retail purchases is simple: there’s a trigger that pushes the consumer to buy and they add the item to their shopping list. Most of the time this purchase does not require the planning of a special trip.

The pre-shopping experience for online buyers differs from the retail because online buyers may do more research before making a purchase. When they do conduct research, most buyers rely on other customer reviews (about 60 percent of those from Amazon). Family and friend recommendations account for 40 percent of online shoppers’ research.

Online shopping

When the customer begins the online shopping process most of them (60 percent) go to a preferred shopping site. And if your customer is like 60-to-80 percent of other online consumers, they’re making their purchase from Amazon, which averages two-thirds of the customer share for online purchases. Consumers also heavily consider convenience, shipping costs and reviews.

Online shoppers do not have to navigate store layouts or negotiate end caps and other marketing techniques. However, they are susceptible to targeted advertisements based on their previous purchase history.

Online purchase

It’s interesting to note that despite their access to more immediate information and customer reviews, online customers are less likely to switch brands than those in the retail path-to-purchase track.

When making an actual purchase online the cost of shipping is important to consumers, a consideration that retail purchasers don’t even consider.

Both customers in the retail and the online path-to-purchase consider tool function as a top priority. Whereas retail customers place more importance on the design and style of a product, consumers making online purchases are more likely to consider saving money a priority in their purchase. However, they are also more likely to remain loyal to a brand no matter the cost savings.

Post-shopping experience

The post shopping experience is the area that shows the biggest difference between the online and retail path-to-purchase. Customers who make a purchase at a retail location are less likely to interact with the manufacturer or company. Consumers in the online path-to-purchase look at and submit more product reviews. They are very concerned with durability, ease of use, product performance and the delivery service.

Businesses should note that strong user reviews can affect the online sales of a product. Companies with good reviews should focus on making this a focal point. If you have bad customer reviews online, engaging with dissatisfied customers to address the issues causing their negative reviews can greatly impact online sales in a positive way.

The online and retail paths-to-purchase are similar in many ways. However, despite their similarities and the shorter path-to-purchase for online shoppers, there are key differences that will influence the way a company targets their customers.