Realty Times August 24, 2000

Trend Talk: Why Do People Shop Or Not Shop Online?
by Kathy Lamancusa

Greenfield Online's “Shopping Index VIII” for the first quarter of 2000 reported these reasons for why consumers shop online -- and why they don't.

Reasons for Shopping Online

  • Save time 60%
  • Avoid crowds 47%
  • Find the lowest price 46%
  • Buy hard-to-find items 35%
  • Better selection 29%
  • More product information 22%
  • Easier to ship 15%
  • Good gift ideas 14%

Reasons for Not Shopping Online

  • Shipping charges 51%
  • Can't see/touch items 44%
  • Can't return items easily 32%
  • Worried about credit card safety 24%
  • Can't ask questions 23%
  • Takes too long to load screen 16%
  • Worried about delivery time 15%
  • Enjoy shopping offline 10%
What if we took those same endorsements and objections and applied them to buying a home online? Which responses would most apply? The answers might provide insights into how you can edit your online marketing efforts to suit the online buyer. Let's see how a hypothetical list might look:

Reasons for Shopping For a Home Online

  • Save time 60%?
  • Avoid driving around 47%?
  • Find the lowest price 46%?
  • Buy hard-to-find homes such as REO's and FSBOs 35%?
  • Better selection 29%?
  • More information available about the home 22%?
  • Easy to communicate with agents online - 35%

Reasons for Not Shopping For a Home Online

  • Shipping charges 51%?
  • Can't go inside the home 44%?
  • Worried about being bothered by Realtors 24%?
  • Can't ask questions 23%?
  • Takes too long to load screen 16%?
  • Worried that inventory online might not be fresh 15%?
  • Enjoy looking at homes in person 10%?
  • Not enough agents with Internet skills 15%?

Transforming Tomorrow

Sandra Swill had this to share regarding one of our past Trend Talks which related to the some of the compromises we are making as our world become more and more technologically advanced:

“I think your statements are very timely and to the point. All artistic creativity could eventually be lost as we know it today as more people become more technologically advanced. The idea that only people with artistic tendencies and good color sense could create beauty will pass by the wayside with the advancements of technology. A lost or certainly a new form of art could become the norm. Is everyone aware that even the artistic element of surgery was replaced by a robot performing cardiac surgery yesterday in a NY hospital!”

What do you think?

Kathy Lamancusa is an international trend analyst, professional speaker, and best-selling author. She works with associations and businesses wanting to know how current trends provide windows of opportunity for growth, and with consumers wanting to know how lifestyle, color, and design trends impact their homes and personal lives. Visit her website.


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