Though online shoppers behave pretty much the same everywhere, some of the practice Chinese shoppers take are worth noticing.
China e-shoppers are growing to be more intelligent and well-informed. With the increasing number of e-retailers available, shoppers become more selective and demanding. If an e-shop is not bringing value to customers, they will not drive traffic.
Online buyers in China love to check things out before any purchase just like any other e-consumers elsewhere, however, how detailed they could be and the hours they are willing to spend on research are impressive.
Once a product draws the interest of an e-shopper, a thorough research will be conducted online or at retail point prior to purchase. China largest e-shopping platform, Taobao will not be missed out when come to product comparison. Though it is not a comparison shop, it certainly serves a dual-function for most Chinese from apparel to cars.
Consumers will find out about the product and what others have to say about it. They will take the pain in reading product descriptions. This is where retailer’s online selling skill and search marketer face the challenge. Not only do retailers need to give a $10 product a million-dollar look, they need to engage their community on a wide social media network.
Consumers always look for a bargain and will spend time to compare prices. It is common to find many offers of the same product on China e-shops. This triggers many brands to rethink about their online retail structure, which we will not discuss here.
Sometimes cheapest might not be the key decision factor neither does freight duration and cost affect the purchase, if it is an essential item to buyers, eg. baby milk powder. Buying from a reliable source is vital to consumers. For cosmetics, they might not consider official site if a reliable source at lower price is available. China e-shoppers will first consider the price then brand for ready-to-wear apparel. Unless they really want a particular item that is nowhere to be found, they will purchase from overseas eShops.
In general, Chinese e-shoppers’ buying steps are pretty much the same as the rest of the world. However, they tend to be more thorough before they make the purchase and they are pretty skillful in the process. Buying locally will be their first choice. Suppliers who are most engaging on a social level will gain bigger ground. Bottom line, engaging suppliers with best price, reliable and quality products win the customers. What have you done to engage yours?
