The wish lister:
Do you suffer from FOMO? Are you female, a frequent visitor to online stores, and an avid, almost obsessive Pinterest pinner? If so, you fit very snugly into the criteria for our first type of online shopper: The Wish Lister.
The brand-oriented visitor:
Do you love Louis Vuitton? Go gaga for Gucci, or simply die over DKNY? If so, there’s a good chance that when you shop online, your behavior and browsing style would categorize you as a Brand-Oriented Visitor.
The rational visitor:
Meet the Brand-Oriented Visitor’s polar opposite: The Rational Visitor.
Are you practical? Known to penny-pinch? Do you make a carefully constructed pro-con list in your head when weighing major purchases, and do you tend to take your time when shopping to think things over - making absolutely sure that the item you’re eyeing is right for you?
The maximizer :
Remember the Wish Lister from item #1? Well, the yin to her yang is The Maximizer: the shopper who reads every product review, memorizes every product stat by heart, and intimately knows the ins, outs and upside-downs of an item before deciding to purchase.
The satisfier :
Are you easily pleased? Incredibly not picky? If you go shopping for a wallet or boots, will any old leather money pouch or pair of shoes do?
The hesitater:
Ah, the Hesitater. You’re similar to the Wish Lister – you both dwell in the land of abandoned shopping carts, your fingers hovering over the “purchase” buttons without the ability to click “buy” – but your qualities are different. While the Wish-Lister stockpiles potential purchases based on desire and daydreams, the Hesitater shops out of necessity. If you’re a Hesitater shopping online for winter gear, you most likely do need a new hat and pair of gloves.
The Bargain Hunter:
Bargain hunters are always on the hunt for a good sale or deal and will rarely buy without one.
The Browser:
Typically, the browsing customer is motivated to make a purchase based on an experience or a connection. For example, a browser might come across a candle with a smell that reminds them of their childhood.
The Showrooming Customer:
One of the biggest perks of in-store shopping is testing out products in person for quality, color, fit, etc. However, sometimes shoppers test in person only to then buy online. This practice is known as “showrooming.”
The Impulse Buyer:
Impulse shoppers make unplanned purchases based on items that appeal to them in the moment. I am sure that you have been in line at the grocery store or convenience shop and have grabbed a pack of chips at checkout. That is an impulse buy.
The Mission-Driven Shopper:
Mission-driven buyers are on the hunt for particular products or are shopping from a list. They are even sometimes called “list shoppers” because they so often come with a physical litany of things they want to buy. Others have termed them “need-based” and “reluctant” shoppers because, for them, buying is driven strictly by need and not because they necessarily enjoy shopping.
The Indecisive Patron:
Indecisive shoppers are looking to make a purchase but are reluctant or hesitant to do so because of price, information overload, or insufficient information.
The Educated Consumer:
With increasing access to product information, many of today’s shoppers fall into the educated or well-informed shopper profile. The educated shopper researches products or a store’s inventory online, reads customer reviews, and scans general pricing information before visiting the store. They also typically have an idea of what they want to buy by the time they make it in.
The Loyal Customer:
The loyal customer is a particularly important shopper profile subset due to their potential for profitability. In fact, loyal shoppers are the most valuable type of customer, with one frequently reported statistic indicating that loyal customers spend an average of 33% more than new shoppers at every visit.
Why do I care?
Just like in the bricks-and-mortar shopping world, being aware of your online shopping style makes you a happier, more efficient shopper. A clear understanding how you operate online allows you to work with your style -- and, even more importantly, work against it when need be.
