Internet shoppers rate personal recommendations and user reviews over price when it comes to making online purchases, the latest instalment of the Trust Index survey from Avail Intelligence has found.

Over a third (36%) of respondents rated peer opinions such as recommendations, reviews and customer generated wish lists as the most useful aspect of an Internet-shopping site. This compared with 25% who said price matching was what they looked for most.

The research also found that newer website technologies, such as video content and 3D images of products, are not yet popular with mainstream consumers. Only one in seven said they found 3D images useful and the figure fell to just 4% for video content. “This is likely to change however as the technologies become more widely adopted by retailers looking to improve the overall feel of their site,” says Avail.

“Despite the credit crunch, UK consumers appear more concerned with the experiences and suggestions of other web-based shoppers than finding the best deal online,” says Pontus Kristiansson, CEO and founder at Avail Intelligence. “Whilst the Internet is viewed as the best place for a bargain, it’s clear that recommendations and reviews from other users have an important part to play when persuading shoppers to buy,” he added.

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