Survey of 56,765 Online Shoppers Suggests That Many Still Use Small E-tailers Primarily for Comparison Shopping.

LOS ANGELES, March 30, 2002 -- Today ePublicEye released more results of its survey of 56,765 shoppers who bought from small and mid-sized e-businesses in 2001. The survey found that many buyers visit small and mid-sized e-tailers to compare prices and get information, but then go to established well known sites to make their purchases. Of the shoppers surveyed, only 36% initially went to these small and unknown web sites with the intention of actually making a purchase.

"The survey revealed how critical it is for small and mid-sized e-tailers to give visiting shoppers a very strong reason to buy from them to avoid loosing the sale to a more established e-tailer," said Errol Smith, co-founder of ePublicEye.com

When shoppers were asked why they bought from an e-tailer they didn't previously know:

93% said prices.
94% said on-time delivery.
92% said customer support.
74% said testimonials were extremely or very important.
69% said seals of approval were very important.

The surveys were taken online at the point of sale after a purchase had been made with a small to mid-sized e-tailer. Surveys were taken from January to December 2001.

About ePublicEye.com

Since 1996, ePublicEye.com has maintained a focus on building confidence between consumers and small to mid-sized e-businesses. ePublicEye.com is the leading guide to reliable small and mid-sized e-businesses on the Internet and is the only global service that allows buyers to rate e-businesses for reliability, privacy and customer satisfaction in French, German, Spanish, Chinese and English. ePublicEye has registered over 35,000 e-businesses in 94 countries and receives several hundred new registrations each month making ePublicEye the leading consumer confidence solution for small and medium sized businesses around the world. Pioneers in the use of consumer feedback to promote safer e-commerce, ePublicEye is trusted internationally by thousands of small and mid-sized merchants to continually survey their customers. ePublicEye is uniquely positioned as an enabler of e-businesses worldwide.

For more information contact : Wanda San Juan of ePublicEye, 818-547-0222, wms@epubliceye.com; or Christopher Simmons of Mindset Communications, 562-435-5702, Simmonscs@mindsetcommunications.com, for ePublicEye.

Return to previous page