Online Shopping Targeting
Online shopping, also known as ecommerce or internet shopping, is the process of purchasing goods and services through digital platforms. Unequivocally considered the ‘modern’ form of retail, it empowers consumers to browse, select, and buy products from the comfort of their homes. Online shopping can be done on almost any mainstream internet-connected device. Most people today use mobile phones, laptops, desktop computers, and tablets to discover and purchase products.
The Evolution of Online Shopping
The concept of online shopping has been around for about as long as the internet itself. Although, it wasn’t entirely practical in the early days due to slow internet speeds and limited access.
It’s worth recognizing that the groundwork for ecommerce was laid much earlier by B2B merchants. In the 1960s, electronic data interchange (EDI) allowed companies to conduct electronic transactions.
1995 saw the launch of Amazon and eBay, two platforms that would revolutionize ecommerce by facilitating consumer-to-consumer sales on a large scale.
The late 1990s and early 2000s saw rapid growth in online shopping, despite the dot-com bubble burst. Improved internet infrastructure, secure payment systems, and changing consumer attitudes contributed to this growth. Major retailers began launching online stores to complement their physical locations.
The mid-2000s brought social media and smartphones, further transforming online shopping. Mobile commerce, or m-commerce, allowed consumers to shop anywhere, anytime. Social media platforms integrated shopping features, blurring the lines between social interaction and commerce.
The 2010s saw the rise of personalized shopping experiences, driven by big data and AI. Same-day delivery became increasingly common, and voice-activated shopping through smart home devices emerged. The decade also witnessed the growth of subscription-based ecommerce and the direct-to-consumer model.
The Shift to Online Shopping
Online shopping has revolutionized consumer habits and business models, leading to the rise of major platforms like Amazon, Alibaba, and eBay. As ecommerce boomed, brick-and-mortar stores had to adapt or face closures, a trend often called the “retail apocalypse.” Between 2010 and 2020, global ecommerce sales surged from $572 billion to $4.2 trillion.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to online shopping, pushing businesses to embrace ecommerce. Dropshipping became a popular model, and industries like logistics and SaaS thrived as demand for online shopping grew.
Why Do People Shop Online?
- Convenience: Shoppers can make purchases 24/7 without the constraints of physical store hours or locations.
- Variety: Online marketplaces offer an extensive selection of products from multiple sellers and brands in one place.
- Price comparison: Consumers can easily compare prices across different retailers to find the best deals.
- Customer reviews: Shoppers can read feedback from other buyers to make informed decisions.
- Personalized recommendations: Many online stores use algorithms to suggest products based on browsing and purchase history.
- Multiple payment options: Ecommerce platforms typically offer various payment methods, including credit cards, digital wallets, and installment plans.
- Home delivery: Products are shipped directly to the customer’s address, often with tracking information provided.
Challenges of Online Shopping
Online shopping offers convenience, but it also has its drawbacks. Key issues include cybersecurity risks, inability to inspect products, and shipping delays. Privacy concerns, the environmental impact of packaging, and the lack of instant gratification also affect consumers. Returns and exchanges can be complicated, though improvements have been made. Despite these barriers, the benefits often outweigh the challenges for most shoppers.
How Do People Shop Online?
As online shopping becomes more mainstream, consumers’ means of engaging in it have expanded. Before robust smartphone technology, desktop computers were the primary means of accessing online stores. Today, mobile devices dominate ecommerce traffic. Many consumers use a multi-device approach, researching products on their phones and completing purchases on larger screens.
Yet mobile-first social media platforms make up a significant portion of online shopping activity. Platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok have introduced shoppable posts and live shopping events that blend user-generated content, influencer marketing, and targeted advertising to create immersive shopping experiences.
Across our managed publishers, we see millions of online shopping searches each month. We are able to leverage our contextual targeting engine to provide a unique opportunity for companies advertising online shopping products seeking to reach their target audience.
Reach Online Shopping Prospective Customers
We offer the ability to either advertise on pages next to online shopping-related content or to people who have previously looked at online shopping content in the past. We know that people looking at online shopping content online are most likely interested in making online purchases or exploring various products and services within the online shopping realm.
Online Shopping Targeting Solutions
Realtime Online Shopping Targeting
Our realtime online shopping targeting option allows advertisers to run their advertising next to online shopping content as the individual looks at the page. This is the ultimate solution for advertising items like electronics, clothing, accessories, and more. We can run this targeting across our own managed supply and via audience extension.
Popular Online Shopping searches
There are thousands of online shopping searches each month. The top twenty searches related to online shopping include;
- Best online deals
- Cheap online shopping
- Online shopping sites
- Free shipping
- Discount codes online
- Compare prices online
- Online sales
- Buy electronics online
- Fashion online store
- Online grocery shopping
- Online book store
- Online shopping apps
- Online furniture shopping
- Online shopping for kids
- Luxury brands online
- Online gift cards
- Buy jewelry online
- Online fitness products
- Eco-friendly products online
- Online shopping tips
Campaign Options for Targeting
- Programmatic Advertising via Deal ID / PMP
- Curated Deals
- Managed Services
Media Formats for Campaign Targeting
Food Targeting Categories
Since 2008, Gourmet Ads has been the global leader in food-focused advertising, specializing in Contextual Targeting. Discover a wide range of Food Targeting Categories for your next advertising campaign or programmatic deals, including Alcohol, Beverage, Cuisine, Diet, Ingredient, Kitchen Appliances, Non-Endemic, Publisher, and Recipe Targeting. We ensure your brand resonates with an engaged, culinary-inclined audience, transforming advertising campaigns into deliciously successful endeavors. Experience Gourmet Ads—where your message meets the appetite of your desired market.
Let’s Get Started !
Let the Gourmet Ads team walk you through all the options available to ensure that your Food, Supermarket, Beverage or Kitchen advertising campaign has the best possible combination of Premium Guaranteed Inventory, Scale, First Party Data, Contextual Targeting and Programmatic Advertising elements.
