Search Engine Optimization News Blog

In an interesting survey, baby boomers seem to prefer paying bills and shopping with PayPal over their own financial institution! Overall, the online shopping experience has become streamlined to the point that the major demographic wedge of shoppers has realized the benefits and are happily taking advantage of them.

Gas prices have of course contributed to the fad of doing your shopping online, but other factors are beginning to weigh in, perhaps after the consumers who have experienced online shopping have venture out again in to the concrete retail world.

Of shoppers who have compared online with in store shopping, they had this to say:

• 50 percent say the checkout process takes too long

• 48 percent say items were not in stock

• 46 percent say they were unable to find the items they wanted

• 22 percent say they “did not always have applicable coupons or offers with me”

• 20 percent say it was hard or time-consuming to keep track of receipts

The advantages of online shopping and payment, however, have been steadily rising, and the younger generation is rapidly becoming comfortable with the next wave - mobile shopping. This could be used both for online via mobile purchases and instore payments, with a sensor or chip in the phone to facilitate payment and store information.

The pitfalls of such a move or readily apparent; in fact, they are illustrated by those surveyed who did not use mobile phones for shopping:

• Do not understand the value (42%)

• Cannot access the web on the mobile device (35%)

• Concerned with losing the device with payment information stored on it (31%)

• Worried about fraud, identity theft, or other security breaches (30%)

Of these, the last two are obviously the more pressing concerns, but any vendor who can figure out how to deal with them will have a ready and eager audience waiting to utilize the plan.

What does this mean for the average website owner? Make sure you offer PayPal as an option, and prepare your website to be supremely mobile compatible. If the baby boomers are embracing shopping options on the web, imagine what it will be like when the Gen X’ers hit their peak earning and spending potential!

The importance of keeping your site safe and secure will also be a huge part of this brave new world, so invest in keeping your customers safe. The number one priority for web surfers is privacy and the security of their personal information, and the website that wins will be the one that delivers that and an easy, enjoyable shopping experience.