It’s no secret that today’s consumer is online more than ever before! In 2010, we conducted over 60 research studies with the help of partners such as Compete & OTX to better understand how consumers are utilizing the web--and to help you reach them! From all of this research, we learned some pretty cool facts. For example, did you know Google provides the most dating site search referrals1? Or that 25% of new vehicle buyers utilize the mobile web during their research process2? Neither did we. Watch this video to see some of the coolest (in our minds!) insights gleaned in 2010!




Sources: 1 Google & Compete Personals Study 2010. 2 Google & Compete Automotive Buy Flow Study 2010.


Posted by Lauren Dale, Google Large Advertiser Marketing Team

Last but not least, our final learning for the rest of 2010: the evolution of multi-channel behavior.

With searches for "buy online, pick up in store" up by as much as 100% this past December, multi-channel shopping has evolved as the new face of commerce, the norm rather than the exception. In fact, when asked, 34% of consumers researched online before buying offline and 21% researched online and offline, before purchasing online.

As we see, consumers leverage both the online and offline worlds in making their final purchase decisions so retailers must also integrate their strategies to reach the "nonline" consumer.

Source: Google/OTX Post-Holiday Consumer Study, January 2010. Q12 Thinking about your recent Holiday shopping experience, in which of the following ways did you approach your Holiday shopping? Select all that apply. n= 1850.

Posted by Eric Lopez, the Google Retail Team

In addition to the extended shopping cycle and increased online research, we've also found that purchases were concentrated around key promotional periods such as the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, last minute, and post-holiday time periods.

Taking a look at when consumers completed the majority of their purchasing in the graph below, we find that almost one quarter of consumers completed the majority of their purchasing over the 4-day Thanksgiving Weekend (Black Friday - Cyber Monday), while another 14% completed the majority of their purchasing at the last minute.

Likewise, though few completed the majority of their purchasing during the post-holiday season, 64% of consumers did shop during this period.

What's driving the concentrated shopping around these time periods? When asked, consumers said they were taking advantage of sales, making additional purchases for themselves and others, and shop for upcoming occasions.

With record e-commerce sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday and 44% of consumers identifying promotions as a key driver of their shopping decisions, consumers have remained deal-seekers through the end of 2009 and into 2010.

Headed into Mother's Day, Father's Day, and graduation seasons, ensure you are attracting the price conscious consumer through your marketing efforts.

Source: Google/OTX Post-Holiday Consumer Study, January 2010. Q3 [1] And, when did you do the majority of your holiday purchasing? n=1850. [2] Q1 Which of the following retail (non-grocery) purchases, if any, do you plan to make this week? n=2757 [3] Q7 For which of the following reasons did you shop after Christmas/Holiday Season (during post-holiday sales or markdowns) or are you still doing your Holiday shopping? Select all that apply. n=819.

Posted by Eric Lopez, the Google Retail Team

What other consumer trends should we keep an eye on in 2010? The lengthening shopping cycle we discussed last week hinted at the increasing importance of research as a trend to watch.

Taking a look at category level research trends from the 2009 holiday shopping season, we found that consumers begin researching far in advance of all retail purchases. Consumers are especially cognisant when it comes to electronics, appliance and furnishing purchases.

And, with the increased search volume in the electronics, appliance, and furnishing categories, much of this research will take place online.

Be sure to "stay on" as consumers not only research far in advance but research increasingly online for upcoming seasonal purchases.

Source: Google/OTX Post-Holiday Consumer Study, January 2010. Q1A Listed below are the products or services you mentioned you purchased this Holiday Season. How long prior to making this/these purchase(s) did you research it/them, if at all? (Select one for each.) Mean summary. n=1850.

Posted by Eric Lopez, the Google Retail Team

The online holiday shopping season was a season of historic highs: $29 billion in online sales, the first $900M day in e-commerce history, 20% growth in Black Friday searches, and an even more impressive 60% growth in Cyber Monday searches.

How did this historic online growth translate at the consumer level? Throughout the holiday season we tracked consumer research and purchase behavior and the results revealed a trend to watch in 2010: Consumers start early and end late.

In fact, by the end of August 2009, almost half of holiday shoppers had begun shopping and over a third had started purchasing. That's a full 4 months prior to the holidays. On the other end of the spectrum, just 5 days prior to Christmas, many had yet to begin shopping or purchasing.

Though we ended up with plenty of presents under our tree despite the last minute push, this data reveals that the shopping cycle is longer than expected with a large portion of shoppers researching far in advance but remaining more comfortable waiting until the last minute to finish up.

The lengthy shopping cycle will be important to keep in mind when planning your online media for upcoming holidays, such as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Father's Day.

Source: Google/OTX Consumer Pulse Check, 8/09-12/09. Base: Those who plan to shop/research or purchase this holiday season (Nearly 9 out of 10 plan to shop/research or purchase.) [1] Have you started your 2009 Holiday shopping/researching? [2] Have you started your 2009 Holiday purchasing?

Posted by Eric Lopez, the Google Retail Team

With the holidays coming to a close and 2010 just around the corner, what's ahead in the New Year? Below, hear perspectives on marketing from industry leaders to prepare your business for success in 2010, and beyond.



For more marketing insights, visit our Fast.Forward Channel at youtube.com/fastforward.

Here's to a successful close to the holiday season and a happy, fruitful New Year! See you in 2010.

Posted by Eric Lopez, the Google Retail Team

Webinar hosted by Avinash Kaushik on Tuesday, October 6th, RSVP today

Attracting the right customers to your website will help you finish off 2009 strong and charge ahead in 2010. Few marketers realize that there is free data available, which is easy to access and can help you better target your advertising.

Please join us to discuss where to find this data and how to utilize it to make educated decisions and develop a sound targeting strategy.

Avinash Kaushik will lead a discussion to share ways for “Using Data to Better Connect with Your Customers.” You'll learn how to find and use data from Google Trends for Websites, Insights for Search, and Ad Planner. Avinash will offer tips for using this data to focus on your most relevant audiences and maximize your return-on-investment immediately. And you'll walk away knowing how to make the most relevant decisions to drive your business forward.

Date & Time
Tuesday, October 6th 2009
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm EST / 10:00 am – 11:30 am PST
Register Here

Posted by the Google Retail Team