201 Million Consumers Prefer to Shop Online

Americans love to shop online! Virtually anything you could ever want or need, can be found at your fingertips and purchased within seconds. Whether you’re looking for a new pair of sneakers, a ride to the airport or great hotel deals, it’s all there for the taking. Shopping by way of the Internet is actually preferred by many, 201 million to be precise, and the number is growing annually by approximately 10%. So just what is it that makes shopping online so attractive and what the heck does this have to do with home improvement? I promise I will get to the latter question, but first let’s look at the enormous benefits of online shopping.

Convenience

Who wouldn’t want to shop in their pajamas or purchase a new appliance for your home during your morning commute on the train? Convenience is what it’s all about. Online stores are open 24/7, allowing you to browse or buy, whenever you desire. With a tap (or a click) it’s easy to find what you want without ever feeling pressured by a well meaning, yet overly eager, salesperson.

Time Savings

Time is a precious commodity, one that most of us wish we had more of. We hustle all day long trying to fit a million things into our schedule. Studies have shown that Americans in general, are too busy to take a vacation or to even eat a bowl of cereal. The ability to rapidly find and purchase an item online has become a life saver for nearly 150 million people looking to maximize their time. Rather than get into a car, drive to a store, walk the aisles, check out and drive back home, you just type in the URL, locate the item and pay. Traditional shopping methods can take hours, but shopping online has reduced the experience to just a few minutes.

Comparative Shopping

One of the greatest advantages to shopping online is the ability to find services or products that you want and then compare prices. As a matter of fact, 59% of the 201 million online shoppers (that’s 118,590,00 people, in case your were wondering) have expressed the ease of comparing prices as the reason they choose to shop this way. Because of the ability to gather information, read reviews and compare prices, we can make informed purchasing decisions rather quickly.

Home Improvement

Glad to see you stuck around. As promised, I will explain the connection between home improvement and online shopping. The capability for consumers to use the internet to research and shop creates a huge advantage for a home improvement contractor. Presumably you have a website for potential customers to find you, learn about your business and hopefully convert to a paid job. The problem is that the industry has never been truly in sync with the changing times and has held on to an antiquated method to supply consumers with a price for flooring, roofing, bathroom remodeling and other projects. Simply providing general information and photos on your website is not enough in an “on demand” society.

MyServiceWhale

If visitors to your site are able to get upfront pricing for their projects, you can compete with other home improvement professionals when you are busy, away or even sleeping. As a matter of fact, you’ll have a distinct advantage over all your competitors. It’s not as far-fetched as you might think.

MyServiceWhale is taking contractors into the 21st century. Our innovative technology allows you to generate custom quotes instantly on your website 24/7/365. MyServiceWhale is a sophisticated piece of consumer facing quoting technology designed specifically with the home improvement industry in mind. Contractors simply preload their prices for the services they offer and going forward, interested visitors to their site can get instant, tailored quotes from a professional without the need for an onsite estimate. It’s not only convenient but it saves a lot of time for both the homeowner and the contractor.

If you have a business that’s not catering to this rather large group of shoppers, you’re falling behind the times and losing out on a huge opportunity to increase your company’s revenue.

For more information on MyServiceWhale, visit our website and request a demo. There is absolutely no cost or obligation to you.