Not all internauts are the same
An e-commerce Internet study identifies six user types
An e-commerce Internet study defines six user typesBy Clemens Hörler A study by McKinsey and MediaMetrix divides the Internet community into six different user types. If an Internet company wants to retain its visitors, it must first identify a target group and address it specifically.
When the saleswoman in the watch store greets the muesli-picking eco-fundi with a well-behaved "Grüss Gott, gnädiger Herr," he is probably just as enthusiastic as the ambitious top manager about a casual "Hi".
Like customers in real life, Internet users want to be addressed in different ways and according to their type. An American study published in April by McKinsey and MediaMetrix identifies six different types of Internet users who are important for the
e-commerce are very different in their appeal and differ significantly in their demands on the Net: Simplifiers, newcomers, veterans, athletes, surfers and merchants.
"Success on the Internet depends very much on customer loyalty, so it is more promising to secure a loyal customer base in a specific target group rather than trying to appeal to everyone," believes John Forsyth, e-marketing specialist at McKinsey. A company should therefore not only pay attention to the sheer number of visitors, it also needs to know about the typology of its customers.
Particularly attractive for the
E-commerce: the simplifiers
According to the study "All Visitors Are Not Created Equal" (www.mediametrix.com), simplifiers are particularly attractive to e-commerce companies. They use the Internet primarily to make their lives more pleasant.
Instead of rummaging through crowded shopping centers, they order online. And although they spend little time online, they are responsible for about half of all transactions. To succeed with simplifiers, Forsyth recommends a customer-friendly approach: clear navigation, quick availability of information and offers, and reliable customer service. Annoying pop-up advertising windows deter simplifiers.
Retailers are also an attractive group for e-commerce. What they value most about the Internet is active pricing and finding bargains, for example in auction houses. Online stores with alternative business models that offer a shopping experience are much more likely to attract retailers than traditionally prepared catalogs of goods.
Online routiniers turn out to be online misers
The more experienced shoppers are less fond of online shopping. Only six percent have shopped on the Internet more than five times in their lives. The routiniers use the Internet primarily to obtain information. To do this, they visit only a few high-quality websites, such as financial or news platforms. Athletes behave similarly to the routiniers, primarily reading sports news.
Information site operators are challenged to turn the information searches of these online geeks into sales. For example, they can entice visitors with links to online stores where they can order something they have just read about. This was practiced very early on by many Swiss online newspapers in the area of book reviews.
The novices can still be formed
Between the online shoppers and the online readers are the surfers and the newcomers. Surfers make up only eight percent of users, but are responsible for 32 percent of Internet usage time. Constantly on the lookout for something new, they are difficult to retain.
Only constant updates, up-to-date design and a strong brand can motivate them to visit regularly. Average sites that still look exactly the same on the second visit as they did on the first are quickly forgotten by the restless Internet nomads.
According to the study, the proportion of Internet newcomers is still 36 percent. They use the Internet primarily for their personal communication, writing e-mails and chatting. Website providers can try to help shape the habits of these Internet novices and attract them as members of a more attractive group for e-commerce. In doing so, Forsyth believes, companies that also have a strong brand offline that newcomers are already familiar with have an advantage.
When the saleswoman in the watch store greets the muesli-picking eco-fundi with a well-behaved "Grüss Gott, gnädiger Herr," he is probably just as enthusiastic as the ambitious top manager about a casual "Hi".
Like customers in real life, Internet users want to be addressed in different ways and according to their type. An American study published in April by McKinsey and MediaMetrix identifies six different types of Internet users who are important for the
e-commerce are very different in their appeal and differ significantly in their demands on the Net: Simplifiers, newcomers, veterans, athletes, surfers and merchants.
"Success on the Internet depends very much on customer loyalty, so it is more promising to secure a loyal customer base in a specific target group rather than trying to appeal to everyone," believes John Forsyth, e-marketing specialist at McKinsey. A company should therefore not only pay attention to the sheer number of visitors, it also needs to know about the typology of its customers.
Particularly attractive for the
E-commerce: the simplifiers
According to the study "All Visitors Are Not Created Equal" (www.mediametrix.com), simplifiers are particularly attractive to e-commerce companies. They use the Internet primarily to make their lives more pleasant.
Instead of rummaging through crowded shopping centers, they order online. And although they spend little time online, they are responsible for about half of all transactions. To succeed with simplifiers, Forsyth recommends a customer-friendly approach: clear navigation, quick availability of information and offers, and reliable customer service. Annoying pop-up advertising windows deter simplifiers.
Retailers are also an attractive group for e-commerce. What they value most about the Internet is active pricing and finding bargains, for example in auction houses. Online stores with alternative business models that offer a shopping experience are much more likely to attract retailers than traditionally prepared catalogs of goods.
Online routiniers turn out to be online misers
The more experienced shoppers are less fond of online shopping. Only six percent have shopped on the Internet more than five times in their lives. The routiniers use the Internet primarily to obtain information. To do this, they visit only a few high-quality websites, such as financial or news platforms. Athletes behave similarly to the routiniers, primarily reading sports news.
Information site operators are challenged to turn the information searches of these online geeks into sales. For example, they can entice visitors with links to online stores where they can order something they have just read about. This was practiced very early on by many Swiss online newspapers in the area of book reviews.
The novices can still be formed
Between the online shoppers and the online readers are the surfers and the newcomers. Surfers make up only eight percent of users, but are responsible for 32 percent of Internet usage time. Constantly on the lookout for something new, they are difficult to retain.
Only constant updates, up-to-date design and a strong brand can motivate them to visit regularly. Average sites that still look exactly the same on the second visit as they did on the first are quickly forgotten by the restless Internet nomads.
According to the study, the proportion of Internet newcomers is still 36 percent. They use the Internet primarily for their personal communication, writing e-mails and chatting. Website providers can try to help shape the habits of these Internet novices and attract them as members of a more attractive group for e-commerce. In doing so, Forsyth believes, companies that also have a strong brand offline that newcomers are already familiar with have an advantage.
