Consumers do not trust social media for ecommerce activities

According to a report by research company YouGov, over 50% of online shoppers believe a store having a presence on a social networking website makes the retailer less trustworthy, while just over 15% say it makes them trust it more.

The most popular way for consumers to do research on a product is via television adverts, with a 26% share, followed by newspapers and magazines with 15%, and finally social media, with only 10%. The most persuasive method seems to be checking the consumer reviews on the retailer’s website, or on a third party’s website, such as Trustpilot and Which?(40%).

Findings also indicate that 61% of people aged 16-24 keep their social networking and online shopping activity separate, with just 1 in 7 people believing that logging into social networks makes transactions and browsing easier.