Internet Shopping Habits Survey

[jeccyka]

Have you ever purchased a product from a company via the Internet? This includes ordering via telephone number listed on a web site. (Yes/No)

How many times have you made online purchases? (Never/Once/2-3times/more than 10 times)

If no, why not? (main reason)

If yes, was your purchase(s) for an item that you specifically were searching for, or was it an item that you came across while Internet shopping and decided to buy?

N/A (Never purchased anything online)
I was specifically looking for the item
I came across it and liked it, so I bought it

On the net, what is the primary factor which influences your decision to purchase items (not relating to the product, but to its presentation)?

Would you make repeat purchases from the sites that you've patronized?(N/A,Yes/No/Maybe)

Thanks very much for participating in the survey!

[adrianh]

I buy 90% of stuff on the net. I'm not talking about household stuff or clothes but practically everything else. Many more than 10 times.

Both, I buy stuff that I search for and stuff that I come across.

Factors that influence the decision to purchase, clear concise information with clear photographs. The ability to compare products side by side. No marketing hype and flowery language. Ease of purchase, don't make me go through 10 steps only to find out that you don't ship to my country.

Yes, I purchase from sites over and over again.

I will only purchase from dropshippers or unknown sources if the product doesn't need a guarantee.

I purchased a laser cutter directly from China for R70,000. And I will do it again becuase the Chinese service is just so much better than the local service.

Chinese sites MUST endevour to use proper english. Sites like Alibaba enable us to pick from hundreds of sites listing the same products and one of the first reason a site is ignored is bad language.

[Dave A]

Have you ever purchased a product from a company via the Internet? This includes ordering via telephone number listed on a web site. (Yes/No)

Yes.

How many times have you made online purchases? (Never/Once/2-3times/more than 10 times)

Physical products - twice. Software/online services - lost count long ago.

If yes, was your purchase(s) for an item that you specifically were searching for, or was it an item that you came across while Internet shopping and decided to buy?

Search - I only buy stuff I'm looking for. I'm not an impulse buyer.

On the net, what is the primary factor which influences your decision to purchase items (not relating to the product, but to its presentation)?

Online reputation - professional presentation. I use Google a lot first.

Would you make repeat purchases from the sites that you've patronized?(N/A,Yes/No/Maybe)

Yes (as long as they didn't mess up the first order).

[jeccyka]

I buy 90% of stuff on the net. I'm not talking about household stuff or clothes but practically everything else. Many more than 10 times.

Both, I buy stuff that I search for and stuff that I come across.

Factors that influence the decision to purchase, clear concise information with clear photographs. The ability to compare products side by side. No marketing hype and flowery language. Ease of purchase, don't make me go through 10 steps only to find out that you don't ship to my country.

Yes, I purchase from sites over and over again.

I will only purchase from dropshippers or unknown sources if the product doesn't need a guarantee.

I purchased a laser cutter directly from China for R70,000. And I will do it again becuase the Chinese service is just so much better than the local service.

Chinese sites MUST endevour to use proper english. Sites like Alibaba enable us to pick from hundreds of sites listing the same products and one of the first reason a site is ignored is bad language.

We buy something on the internet, We expect the process will be as simple as possible,also we need a guarantee, that's very important. Regarding the customer service, it would be getting better and better,whatever China or other places. However, can not do completely consistent with the local language, so there's a long long way to go.

[jeccyka]

Yes.


Physical products - twice. Software/online services - lost count long ago.


Search - I only buy stuff I'm looking for. I'm not an impulse buyer.


Online reputation - professional presentation. I use Google a lot first.


Yes (as long as they didn't mess up the first order).

People shopping online through the Google search, SEO appears very important.
So you are not an impulse buyer,any online advertising or affiliate marketing can not affect you.

[adrianh]

I buy and sell on Ebay, Gumtree and Bid Or Buy. I also have a number of websites that sell on the net. 60% of our customers buy directly from the websites. Our local payments are done via EFT and internatioal via Paypal. We ship via the local post office.

We do multiple internet based transactions each week without any problems.

[solweb]

I have been using the Internet to purchse extra bandwith using my Check Card or I have signed up for a service and paid by eft or debit order. I pay all my acounts by eft from either my FNB account (business) or Capitec (personal).

I use PayPal when I pay for my Web Site hosting with HostGater and when I purchse Domain Names for custoimers.

Banks have got thge tools in places to protect you, like setting daily limits or recieving a SMS when a trnsaction goes through and of course you can go online and check your account daily. Someone did try to hack into my account but the security that FNB have in place stopped him before he managed it. The most annoying tghing about that was the time I had to spend changing user names and passwords.

[vieome]

I buy and sell on Ebay, Gumtree and Bid Or Buy. I also have a number of websites that sell on the net. 60% of our customers buy directly from the websites. Our local payments are done via EFT and internatioal via Paypal. We ship via the local post office.

We do multiple internet based transactions each week without any problems.

How do you do international payments to you need to have a CFC dollar account

[adrianh]

Yes, the Paypal account is dollar based. FNB quotes the exchange rate whenever you move money in or out of the account. FNB is the only bank that has a direct link to Paypal and allows you to bring money into the country. We transact in another way sometimes. My brother in law uses his Paypal account in the UK to invoice a client anywhere in the world. He then does a direct transfer to us. Going the UK route is not only faster but also cheaper...go figure...

[kath]

Are you worried about giving credit card information over the internet (in a secured transaction)?

[adrianh]

No, not at all. I use a credit card with a very low limit on the net so there is nothing to steal anyway.

[jeccyka]

What type of products have you purchased online?

[Dave A]

In my two cases of physical products, pens for gifts (known product at a very good price compared to stores) and a specific network card not stocked in local stores.

[AndyD]

I'm buying more and more on line. I recently purchased a couple of specialised Fluke electrical testers, even with shipping they cost $730.00 together. The price included accessories and software, the local list price through the SA agents was nearly three times that just for the naked instruments and no stock in the country.

[adrianh]

I bought a laser cutter, lots of model trains and equipment, electronic parts, software, Kindles, books, tools.