Consumer electronics — traditionally considered a research-online, purchase-offline (ROPO) sector — is evolving to capture higher conversion online. In 2018, Electronics & Media was the second largest e-commerce segment globally in terms of revenue. Yet consumer electronics brands have been slow to meet this rising demand with sophisticated sites and well balanced e-tailer platform strategies. The research process, once long and involved, is often streamlined, with more consumers bypassing YouTube reviews and Wirecutter listicles, instead relying solely on e-tailers to identify winners via rankings, reviews and merchandising badges. As such, brands must secure high visibility and top rankings on e-tailer grid pages to win shoppers who initiate research and complete purchase on a single channel in a single session.
This report addresses the following questions:
- How can direct-to-consumer brands more effectively drive conversion on their sites and maintain a baseline performance on e-tailer sites?
- How are brands allocating their display impressions on retailer sites and what kind of ancillary benefits accompany this investment?
- Which retailers invest most heavily in Google Shopping Ads and which brands are retailers frequently featuring?
