Whether your area of specialty is social media, mobile marketing, paid search or just about any other marketing discipline, all of your efforts should start by analyzing the wants, needs and behaviors of your consumer.

With that in mind, we’ve collected 50 essential facts about consumer behavior that we think will help you wrap your mind around the funny, oddball and sometimes counter-intuitive side of why people buy.

    1. Price is not the main reason for customer churn, it is actually due to the overall poor quality of customer service. http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130604134550-284615-15-statistics-that-should-change-the-business-world-but-haven-t
    2. A dissatisfied customer will tell between 9-15 people about their experience. Around 13% of dissatisfied customers tell more than 20 people. http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130604134550-284615-15-statistics-that-should-change-the-business-world-but-haven-t
    3. Limited availability of certain items can create an obsession with the items, such as KFC’s “Double Down” and McDonald’s “McRib.” http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/7236.html
    4. Bundling products together increase sales as long as consumers have the option of buying the products separately. http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6814.html
    5. The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60 – 70%. The probability of selling to a new prospect is 5-20%  http://returnonbehavior.com/2010/10/50-facts-about-customer-experience-for-2011/
    6. According to the White House Office of Consumer Affairs, happy customers who get their issue resolved tell about 4-6 people about their experience. http://returnonbehavior.com/2010/10/50-facts-about-customer-experience-for-2011/
    7. A 2% increase in customer retention has the same effect as decreasing costs by 10%. http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130604134550-284615-15-statistics-that-should-change-the-business-world-but-haven-t
    8. 56% of consumers under the age of 35 interact with their favorite brands on Facebook. http://www.brandchannel.com/images/papers/530_chadwick_martin_bailey_ppt_fb_consumer_behavior_0911.pdf
    9. 62% of online shoppers are brand loyal. http://www.slideshare.net/InterbrandDesignForum/082410-csa-slideshow
    10. 77% of online shoppers use reviews to make a purchase decision. http://www.slideshare.net/InterbrandDesignForum/082410-csa-slideshow
    11. 89% of shoppers do online research before purchasing an item in-store. http://www.slideshare.net/InterbrandDesignForum/082410-csa-slideshow
    12. 42% of shoppers spend over half their shopping time doing online research. http://www.slideshare.net/InterbrandDesignForum/082410-csa-slideshow
    13. 45% of shoppers use their phone to research prices. http://www.slideshare.net/InterbrandDesignForum/082410-csa-slideshow
    14. When shopping online, 58% of women and 44% of men are concerned about the cost of shipping. http://threedeadlyvenoms.blogspot.com/2011/02/todays-five-facts-about-consumer.html
    15. 81% of affluent families with teenagers own five or more computers, according to Ipsos OTX. http://threedeadlyvenoms.blogspot.com/2011/02/todays-five-facts-about-consumer.html
    16. 62% of drivers believe that talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous, but 69% have done so in the past month, according to AAA Foundation.  http://threedeadlyvenoms.blogspot.com/2011/02/todays-five-facts-about-consumer.html
    17. 38 % of people buy online because of low prices. http://www.rubymarketer.com/online-consumer-behaviour-2011-2015/
    18. 79% of women shop online compared to the 77% of men who shop online. http://www.rubymarketer.com/online-consumer-behaviour-2011-2015/
    19. Only 14% of online shoppers use the internet to search for online coupons. http://www.rubymarketer.com/online-consumer-behaviour-2011-2015/
    20. 33% of men and 38% of women don’t buy online because they want to touch the product before the buy it. http://www.rubymarketer.com/online-consumer-behaviour-2011-2015/
    21. 94% of respondents had used their smartphone to look for local information and 90% of those had taken action as a result. Of those, 70% connected with the business, 66% actually visited the business, and 36% made a purchase. http://factsandtacts.blogspot.com/2012/10/some-facts-about-us-mobile-consumer.html
    22. After finding local business information on their mobile, 15% of respondents said they had read or written a review, while 13% recommended the business to someone else. http://factsandtacts.blogspot.com/2012/10/some-facts-about-us-mobile-consumer.html
    23. An overwhelming majority of respondents (96%) had searched for product information from their mobile device. http://factsandtacts.blogspot.com/2012/10/some-facts-about-us-mobile-consumer.html
    24. 35% intentionally carry their smartphone while shopping so they can comparison shop. 32% said they had changed their mind about purchasing in-store based on information found online while shopping. http://factsandtacts.blogspot.com/2012/10/some-facts-about-us-mobile-consumer.html
    25. 35% of American smartphone users have purchased through their mobile device, 68% of those within the last month.  However, 65% still prefer to purchase while on their computer. http://factsandtacts.blogspot.com/2012/10/some-facts-about-us-mobile-consumer.html
    26. 98% of U.S. smartphone users notice mobile ads; 48% while in an app, 46% while on a website, 40% while using a search engine, and 27% while watching a video. http://factsandtacts.blogspot.com/2012/10/some-facts-about-us-mobile-consumer.html
    27. 75% of consumers buy nothing (or buy less) if there are not enough employees at the store. http://www.buzzbooster.com/blog/consumer-behavior-facts/
    28. 66% of consumers will watch a video twice if it is informative. http://www.buzzbooster.com/blog/consumer-behavior-facts/
    29. Consumers will watch videos 60% of the time they find them on retail sites. http://www.buzzbooster.com/blog/consumer-behavior-facts/
    30. 85% of all consumer brand purchases are controlled or influenced by women. http://www.marketingmel.com/2012/10/02/consumer-behavior-and-the-new-woman/
    31. 91% of women do not feel advertisers connect with them. http://www.marketingmel.com/2012/10/02/consumer-behavior-and-the-new-woman/
    32. 88.7% of online user also shop online. http://www.invesp.com/blog/ecommerce/online-consumer.html
    33. 81% of consumers possess a loyalty card from at least one store. http://thenokadiblog.com/new-light-on-consumer-behavior-around-loyalty-cards/
    34. 55% would welcome signing up for more loyalty programs as long as it doesn’t mean more plastic cards in their wallet. http://thenokadiblog.com/new-light-on-consumer-behavior-around-loyalty-cards/
    35. 17% of US population has a tablet, but what they’re doing on it is what’s really important. 43% are pulling the trigger and making a purchase, twice the percentage of those with mobile phones. http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2013/07/11/fun-facts-from-the-ems-client-summit-understanding-consumer-behavior-is-the-key-to-marketing-program-success/
    36. 11% of people are more likely to make a purchase if their network of friends have used or recommended the item. http://www.experian.com/blogs/marketing-forward/2013/07/11/fun-facts-from-the-ems-client-summit-understanding-consumer-behavior-is-the-key-to-marketing-program-success/
    37. 96% of unhappy customers don’t complain, however 91% of those will simply leave and never come back. http://returnonbehavior.com/2010/10/50-facts-about-customer-experience-for-2011/
    38. 55% of customers would pay extra to guarantee a better service. http://returnonbehavior.com/2010/10/50-facts-about-customer-e
    39. 72% of all customers believe it takes too long to reach a live agent http://returnonbehavior.com/2010/10/50-facts-about-customer-experience-for-2011/
    40. 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated. http://returnonbehavior.com/2010/10/50-facts-about-customer-experience-for-2011/
    41. A customer is 4 times more likely to defect to a competitor if the problem is service related than price or product related. http://returnonbehavior.com/2010/10/50-facts-about-customer-experience-for-2011/
    42. 85% of consumers are dissatisfied with their phone experience. http://returnonbehavior.com/2010/10/50-facts-about-customer-experience-for-2011/
    43. 28% of the mobile users are responsible for 90% of the spending. http://www.nada.kth.se/utbildning/grukth/exjobb/rapportlistor/2006/rapporter06/ahslund_frida_06011.pdf
    44. 79% of consumers prefer to connect with brands on Facebook http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/9-consumer-social-media-trends-that-could-impact-marketers/
    45. It takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative experience – “Understanding Customers” by Ruby Newell-Legner http://quest-news.whereilive.com.au/blogs/story/customer-service-pays-its-a-fact/
    46. Customer loyalty is, in most cases, worth 10 times the price of a single purchase. http://quest-news.whereilive.com.au/blogs/story/customer-service-pays-its-a-fact/
    47. eCommerce spending for new customers is on average $24.50, compared to $52.50 for repeat customers.  http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130604134550-284615-15-statistics-that-should-change-the-business-world-but-haven-t
    48. 55% of current marketing spent is on new customer acquisition. http://returnonbehavior.com/2010/10/50-facts-about-customer-experience-for-2011/
    49. Only 12% of current marketing spend is on customer retention. http://returnonbehavior.com/2010/10/50-facts-about-customer-experience-for-2011/
    50. For every customer complaint, there are 26 other unhappy customers who have remained silent. http://returnonbehavior.com/2010/10/50-facts-about-customer-experience-for-2011/
    51. 59% of consumers have higher expectations for customer service that they did a year ago. https://thekeenfolks.com/keensights/10-mind-blowing-stats-about-consumer-behaviour/
    52. 32% of social media users expect a brand to respond to their questions within 30 minutes. https://thekeenfolks.com/keensights/10-mind-blowing-stats-about-consumer-behaviour/
    53. 67% of customers prefer self-service over speaking to a company representative.https://thekeenfolks.com/keensights/10-mind-blowing-stats-about-consumer-behaviour/
    54. 87% of shoppers now begin product search online. https://thekeenfolks.com/keensights/10-mind-blowing-stats-about-consumer-behaviour/
    55. 80% of consumers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services. https://thekeenfolks.com/keensights/10-mind-blowing-stats-about-consumer-behaviour/
    56. 88% of consumer trust online reviews as much are personal recommendation. https://biznology.com/2016/09/50-facts-online-consumer-behavior-not-ignore
    57. American adults spend 5.5 hours a day viewing video content. https://biznology.com/2016/09/50-facts-online-consumer-behavior-not-ignore/
    58. 81% of customers reach out to friends and family members on social networking sites for advice before purchasing products. https://biznology.com/2016/09/50-facts-online-consumer-behavior-not-ignore/
    59. Consumers spend an average of 79 days gathering information before making a major purchase. https://biznology.com/2016/09/50-facts-online-consumer-behavior-not-ignore/
    60. 45% of US consumers will abandon an online transaction if their questions or concerns are not addressed quickly. https://biznology.com/2016/09/50-facts-online-consumer-behavior-not-ignore/
    61. On average, loyal customers are worth up to 10 times as much as their first purchase. https://www.talkdesk.com/blog/10-customer-services-statistics-for-call-center-supervisors/
    62. Consumers prefer the following channels: phone (61%), email (60%), live chat (57%), online knowledge base (51%) and “click to call” support automation (34%). https://www.talkdesk.com/blog/10-customer-services-statistics-for-call-center-supervisors/
    63. A third of consumers believe that businesses are now paying less attention to providing good customer service. https://www.talkdesk.com/blog/10-customer-services-statistics-for-call-center-supervisors/
    64. 80% of companies say they deliver “superior” customer service while only 8% of customers feel the same. https://www.talkdesk.com/blog/10-customer-services-statistics-for-call-center-supervisors/
    65. Americans tell an average of nine people about good experiences and 16 about poor experiences. https://www.talkdesk.com/blog/10-customer-services-statistics-for-call-center-supervisors
    66. 96% of Americans shop online. https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/consumer-behavior-infographic/#is-it-that-shoppers-arent-shopping
    67. Consumer online shopping occurs while people are in bed 43% of the time. https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/consumer-behavior-infographic/#is-it-that-shoppers-arent-shopping
    68. Consumer online shopping occurs while people are in the bathroom 20% of the time. https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/consumer-behavior-infographic/#is-it-that-shoppers-arent-shopping
    69. Consumer online shopping occurs while people are in the office 23% of the time. https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/consumer-behavior-infographic/#is-it-that-shoppers-arent-shopping
    70. 58% of people  do not shop online due to shipping costs. https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/consumer-behavior-infographic/#is-it-that-shoppers-arent-shopping
    71. 1 in every 3 minutes spent online is spent on social media. https://www.gofisher.net/blogs/top-7-facts-about-consumers-2018
    72. About 3 in every 4 shoppers go “stress shopping”. https://www.gofisher.net/blogs/top-7-facts-about-consumers-2018
    73. Over 30% of consumers are purchasing luxury goods to reward themselves. https://www.buzzbooster.com/consumer-behavior-facts/
    74. 28% of luxury consumers said they got a good deal through Facebook or Twitter or a blog. https://www.buzzbooster.com/consumer-behavior-facts/
    75. Consumers will watch videos 60% of the time they find them on retail sites. https://www.buzzbooster.com/consumer-behavior-facts/

We hope you find the data here helpful. Of course, data is just data unless you draw insights from it. So we’d encourage you to take a spin through these facts and figures, highlight the ones out that match up with your industry or product category, then try to draw some insights from them that you can use to improve your marketing results.

Keep us posted on how things go. And let us know about your favorite facts about consumer behavior.

About the Author: Jamie Turner is an internationally-recognized author, speaker, and business thought-leader. You’ll find him on the 60 Second Marketer and as an expert commentator on CNN. He is the founder of SIXTY, a marketing optimization firm that helps clients get more bang for their marketing buck. He is also the founder of the Mobile X Festival, an un-conference for businesses that want to use mobile to grow their sales and revenues. 

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