eMarketer reports that for Brands and retailers in the home improvement sector, over 1/3 of homeowners start their home improvement projects online. According to Zillow, a real estate website, a survey in the U.S. taken in the winter of 2013 found that 39% of adults found inspiration for such projects online.
In a 2013 survey for do-it-yourself (DIY) shoppers by Compete.com in conjunction with Google, the majority of respondents were using digital as a resource when looking for information on products for a DIY project. Over 7 in 10 used the internet for information or help in starting a project. And, 25% researched a specific brand online.
Ecommerce remains a small percentage of home improvement sales – and mcommerce even more so. Yet mobile’s role in the home improvement sector is becoming apparent.
Planese.com, a recent addition to a growing list of mobile group apps for home improvement, allows collaboration between home improvement professionals and consumers. The cloud based applications provider polled US homeowners in November of 2013 about how they planned to use smartphones and PCs for future home remodels. Nearly 95% said they intended to go online via a PC to find design ideas; 65% said they would use a smartphone for some of their research. However, when researching products or services over 66% of respondents would use either device.
Having a mobile-compatible website that describes all of the product categories and services that your store provides, along with an online catalog, will facilitate the type of online research that home improvement customers now engage in before making purchases. To enhance your website and/or add an online catalog to facilitate such pre-purchase research, contact Emerge2 to discuss options.
