How do Indians shop online? Read on to find out latest insights on buying behaviour of Indian online consumers and how it can help every eCommerce business owner.
The global pandemic has completely solidified the position of eCommerce as a primary method of shopping. As of March 2021, the Indian e-retail market saw a 25% growth, despite the two-month long nation-wide lockdown and other persistent instabilities throughout the year.
India has a huge online shopper base of 14 crores, which is the third largest in the world. However, the market is still massively untapped to reach the 60 crores+ of internet users in India.
So, any kind of eCommerce has a significant potential to scale-up and grow in the coming years. For this, e-retailers need to have a good understanding of consumer shopping journey online.
Brands need to study each step in the buyer’s journey and their behaviour in order to effectively tap into the huge digital market.
Read our latest blog on how Indians shop online in 2023.
Contents
- 1 What is consumer behaviour and why is it important for your business?
- 2 1. An e-shopper spends less than 10 minutes on a platform
- 3 2. Vernacular platforms are more important than you think
- 4 3. Influencers have a growing influence
- 5 4. ‘Cash-on-delivery’ still remains key
- 6 5. More customers keep coming back to D2C brands
What is consumer behaviour and why is it important for your business?
Online consumer behaviour refers to the decision and acts people undertake to buy products or services from a digital platform, and what influences them.
Every business should have a good idea of what factors influences their target audience to buy. This will help you to market your product/service in the best way possible, scale your online presence, and get a good market share.
Although buyer behaviour is different for each business, there are some common behaviour traits of Indian online consumers. Based on a recent report, we have made a list of key insights on some major factors that influence Indian online shoppers.
Top 5 insights on buying behaviour of Indian online consumers
1. An e-shopper spends less than 10 minutes on a platform
On an average, visitors go through ten product pages before making a buying decision. So, before adding any product to their carts, shoppers will go through each product page in less than a minute.
Thus, brands have limited time to make an impression in the minds of their store visitors. One of the best ways to convert your store visitors into buyers is by investing in high-quality product images.
2. Vernacular platforms are more important than you think
According to a recent study, one in three new e-retail users visit through vernacular platforms.
Users increasingly search for products in their native language. One in three new e-retail users visit through a vernacular platform interface. Assess your target audience and add product descriptions in vernacular languages.
3. Influencers have a growing influence
You customer base might be just one influencer away
In 2020, approximately 40% of online shoppers made at least one purchase through social media channels (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp). People tend to buy products or services recommended by their favourite influencer because there is a greater trust factor. Identifying the right content creators and leveraging them for your business will go a long way to generate sales and increase brand awareness.
4. ‘Cash-on-delivery’ still remains key
Use of digital payments and credit has, of course, accelerated, and will continue to do so. But cash purchases are significantly high even during the pandemic (approx. 45% to 50% of the e-retail GMV).
5. More customers keep coming back to D2C brands
People are becoming brands, and brands are becoming people. There has been an explosion in direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands in India in the last two years. Brands are finding innovative ways to reach out to customers and give them a unique experience.
Related Read: Why D2C eCommerce brands have an Advantage Over other eCommerce
Understanding the behaviour of online buyers will help you to strategically plan a business model for your eCommerce.
Do you want to bring your business to the digital world and successfully scale it? At Instamojo, we provide everything an eCommerce needs to make their mark in the online platform- a custom-made website, secure payments options, shipping support, and much more.
