Main News Desk

Customer conversation speaks volumes online

Avail Intelligence’s Trust Index reveals two thirds of online shoppers take the lead from fellow consumers

January 29, 2008

British consumers trust online recommendations and reviews more than any other advice, according to research from Avail Intelligence.

69% of those surveyed trust user recommendations – and 61% have even made purchases entirely based on them. Over half of those surveyed (56%) appreciate the unbiased nature of user-generated feedback, while almost a quarter (24%) find star ratings useful.

Avail Intelligence carried out the Trust Index research to gauge the power of user-generated feedback on UK consumers. The results suggest that online customer communities could force marketers to rethink their strategies, according to the company.

“Consumers are no longer as susceptible to corporate spin as they once were. The rise in online communities means that customers themselves can have their say,” explained Dr Rolf Elmér, CEO, Avail Intelligence. “Our study shows that online shoppers demand more transparency than ever before and expect to take guidance from the community.”

The fact that over half of respondents (52%) chose Amazon as their most trusted site is also significant, according to Elmér, as it is a space where users frequently swap reviews and recommendations.

“This study speaks volumes about the needs of today’s consumer,” he said. “The power of user-generated feedback has never been stronger, as customers continue to converse with each other online. The sooner marketers realise this, the better.”

(248 words)

About the company

Avail Intelligence is the leader in maximising the value of visitor traffic to e-commerce web sites. The company’s technology harnesses the community intelligence from site visitors to deliver the most effective shopping experience for new and returning customers.

Using advanced mathematical techniques from its research arm Avail Labs, Avail Intelligence has created the Avail eMarketing suite. The suite comprises a set of tools, which improve relevance when merchandising to and communicating with individual visitors across the entire Customer Interaction Cycle™ of a single web site or across multiple web sites.

The results are significant, immediate and measurable improvements to conversion rates and average order values.

Avail Intelligence’s technology is being used by over 80% of the leading Scandinavian e-commerce sites. Key UK customers include Berry Brothers and DVD.co.uk

Contact details

For further press information and photography please contact:
Patrick Hussey at LEWIS, the PR agency
Tel: +44 (0) 161 601 7740 Fax: +44 (0) 161 601 7741
Email: avail@lewispr.com
Website: www.lewispr.com

Technorati tags: Avail Intelligence | Trust Index |

Bookmarklets:

Recent Press Releases

2010 Archive

2009 Archive

2008 Archive

2007 Archive

Jump to:

Main News Desk

Customer conversation speaks volumes online

About the company

Contact details