Website Visit Behaviours and sales performance
Consumer purchasing decisions are driven by how information is processed during a visit. Research categorizes these behaviors through the lens of Heuristic-Systematic Information Processing Theory. Heuristic processing involves easily acquired information such as Visitor Volume and Repeated Visits. These metrics signal popularity and social influence, which can trigger purchase decisions without extensive cognitive effort. Systematic processing requires significant cognitive effort and is measured by Visit Duration and Product Page Visits. Consumers engage in this processing when they scrutinise quality, materials, and reviews. Collectively, heuristic metrics (visitor numbers and repeated visits) explain a significantly larger proportion of the variance in online store sales performance than systematic metrics (duration and product views).
The impacts of behavioural metrics on sales differ between customers reaching the website through a personal computer (PC) versus a mobile device. The PC channel's metrics explain a larger proportion of sales variance compared to the mobile channel. While mobile channels often have higher raw visitor counts, the PC channel leads to higher conversion because the environment supports longer stays and more intensive systematic information processing. Previous research key findings indicate that:
• Visitor Volume is Paramount: The number of visitors through both PC and mobile channels positively affects sales in both the short and long term, with PC visitors exerting the strongest influence. High visitor counts signify popularity and social influence, which can be an efficient, time-saving way for consumers to make decisions under high work pressure or limited time.
• Channel Specificity: Mobile devices are primarily utilized for rapid searching, while PCs are preferred for in-depth product evaluation and transaction finalisation.
Website Scope, Functionality, Product Type and behavioural metrics
To maximise basket value in e-commerce, a strategy must ensure that website characteristics (the "Where") are precisely aligned with product characteristics (the "What"). Research indicates that consumers behave differently based on whether they are shopping for utilitarian products, which serve functional needs, or hedonic products, which are purchased for pleasure and experiential value. The alignment between a website's functionality and the product type significantly influences the final monetary value of the shopping basket.
• Communication Functionality (CF): This includes features such as chat rooms, message boards, and email contact options. CF is positively associated with basket value for hedonic products.
• Navigational Functionality (NF): This encompasses features that facilitate browsing, such as site maps, content updates, and structured layouts. NF is positively associated with basket value for utilitarian products.
Regardless of whether a product is utilitarian or hedonic, a broad website scope that offeris a wide variety of product categories tends to maximize basket value. For medical devices, a broad variety provides a "one-stop-shop" convenience that appeals to the consumer's need for efficiency. For luxury items, a wider assortment can create a feeling of abundance, keeping the consumer more engaged and willing to spend more per transaction.
The relationship between time spent and money spent is more complex than it appears. We must distinguish between "page views" (selection breadth) and "visit duration" (time spent).
• Page Views: These are positively associated with both the decision to purchase and the total basket value. Essentially, the more pages a user load, the broader their selection becomes.
• Visit Duration: While more time on-site is positively related to the decision to buy, it does not necessarily lead to a higher basket value.
Home page visits and loyalty
The data shows that the number of visitors to the homepage occupies the largest proportion of sales performance variance. Homepage traffic is a much stronger predictor of final revenue than individual product page metrics. A cohesive homepage experience creates a foundation of trust and communicates brand scope, moving the consumer from a "searching" mindset to a "buying" mindset more effectively than a siloed product link. Investment in homepage design and popularity is more critical than individual product page optimization. Managers are encouraged to invest heavily in homepage design, as homepage metrics (visitor numbers and repeated visits) are significantly and positively related to long-term sales performance.
The real revenue power lies in retention. Returning visitors account for a significantly larger proportion of sales variance than new arrivals. Data highlights the approximately 15–20% of loyal users visit a site 9 or more times. These "regulars" do the heavy lifting for revenue because repeated visits act as a "source of prior knowledge." This familiarity reduces the consumer’s perceived risk and uncertainty, making them far more likely to convert than a first-time visitor. Investing in the loyalty of these users through personalised experiences often yields a much higher ROI than the constant, expensive chase for new traffic. Managers must balance recruitment (new visitors) with retention (regular visitors). Regular visitors tend to access pages more efficiently than those without purchase intentions; therefore, operations should be streamlined to support this fast-track behaviour. CRM strategies, such as membership rewards, are more efficient for driving sales than constant new acquisition.
References
Luo, P., Ngai, E.W., Li, Y. and Tian, X., 2022. Effects of visit behavior on online store sales performance: personal computer (PC) versus mobile channels. Internet Research, 32(3), pp.728-767.
Mallapragada, G., Chandukala, S.R. and Liu, Q., 2016. Exploring the effects of “what”(product) and “where”(website) characteristics on online shopping behavior. Journal of Marketing, 80(2), pp.21-38.
Pallant, J.I., Danaher, P.J., Sands, S.J. and Danaher, T.S., 2017. An empirical analysis of factors that influence retail website visit types. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 39, pp.62-70.
