Consumers don’t trust and don’t use social networking sites when it comes to e-commerce, new research for YouGov shows.
The “E-commerce: Trust in Online Transactions” report shows that over half (55%) of online shoppers say a store having a presence on a social networking site makes them trust the retailer less, while just over a quarter (27%) say it makes them trust it more.
YouGov found that there is only a marginal increase in the level of trust among Facebook and Twitter users towards retailers on social networks. Over half (55%) of Facebook users say presence on a social networking site makes them trust the retailer less, while one in three (33%) say it makes them trust it more. The numbers are similar among Twitter users (52% say it reduces their trust in an outlet and 37% say it increases it).
The report reveals that many e- consumers segregate their online shopping and social habits. Almost four in ten (39%) like to keep their social media and shopping activity separate, with around the same proportion (42%) believing that networks such as Facebook and Twitter are for friends, not retail. There is limited support for logging into social networks to shop, with just one in seven (14%) believing it is easier to sign into retail sites without having to put in their details again.
Interestingly, the youngest online shoppers (16-24 year olds) are the keenest to keep their social networking activity separate from their shopping activity. More than half (57%) don’t like sites such as Twitter and Facebook to be linked with their purchasing history and three in five (61%) like to keep their social networking and online shopping activity separate.
YouGov’s report shows that when it comes to researching products, online shoppers are much more likely to turn to adverts on TV (26%) or newspapers and magazines (15%) than to social networking sites (10%). However, all of these trail behind customer reviews on a retailer’s own site (60%), shopping comparison sites (48%) and consumer reviews on third party sites (40%) when it comes to where consumers research their online purchases.
James McCoy, Research Director at YouGov, says: “The rise of social networks over the past decade has coincided with the growth of online shopping and many retailers have tried to harness the power of sites such as Facebook to increase sales. However, it appears that consumers prefer to keep their shopping and social sites separate, with online consumers not trusting retailers that are on the likes of Twitter. What is worse for retailers is that younger, more social media savvy consumers are the ones who have the greatest objections to using their Facebook and Twitter accounts for shopping. This is something they will need to address if they are to affectively deploy online marketing budgets.”
