the home buyers’ online journey · source: google/nielsen, making sense of the home buyers’...

The Home Buyers’ Online Journey A Clickstream Study in the Online Property Sector Google/Nielsen UK, October 2010

Source: Google/Nielsen, Making Sense of the Home Buyers’ Online Journey, UK, October 2010

Agenda

1 Methodology & Definitions

2 The Pathway to Purchase

3 The Role of Search

4 Summary & Recommendations

2


Methodology & Definitions

3


How people research property is complex

Start Points in Grey

THIS CHART IS FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY (DATA MAY NOT BE 100% ACCURATE). Base: Those that visit Property Detail Pages and Direct Action Pages in the Sale (Property Only) Market. Note: This shows all the movement between sites for visitors of each event. Non-property only refer to where the event website is the first property website to be visited in the session; Arrows represent proportion of users who go from one site type to another in the session. (Audience movements under 21% not shown)

Total Google Search (incl. Sponsored)

Maps Agent / Developer

Local Information

Home + Garden

Government and Councils

Other Search

Property Portal 72%

65%

65%

65%

57% 53%

44%

31%

42%

42%

41%

39%

25% 31%

29%

28%

27%

27%

27%

25%

25%

24%

24% 23%

22% 22%

70%

21%

33%

2%

1%

3%

10%

4


Methodology: Key

Agent Developer Affordable Housing Property Portal

Internet Portal B2B Local Information Mortgages

Gov’t/Councils Property Services Market Info Temporary Housing

Selling Only School Niche Maps

•  Period: January-June 2010; Sample Size: 3,772 •  816 sites included, 238 property specific, 17 site categories •  Restricted to adults aged over 21 years •  15,280 unique search terms categorised •  The analysis is based solely on those panellists who have visited a Property Portal, Agent or Developer website in at least 3 unique web sessions during the 6 month period

Home + Garden

UK Finance Clickstream Study: •  86 Sites (all finance categories) •  4 types of sites •  5,000 search terms

5


Where are property buyers based?

Scotland % % of Total 10

Converters ratio 24

North % % of Total 23

Converters ratio 24

Midlands % % of Total 21

Converters ratio 38

South (excl. London) % % of Total 15

Converters ratio 38

London % % of Total 21

Converters ratio 49 Wales & West % % of Total 11

Converters ratio 42

Base: Those that visit Sales ‘Property Only’ Pages

Regional presence

6


The Pathway to Purchase

What does the consumer journey online for house

hunters look like?

7


38% of property visitors convert on site

8.6m

3.3m

7.7m

3.3m

Total Unique Visitors (has visited property sites more than 3

times in the 180 day period)

Property Details (has visited an individual property page

within a property site)

Engagers (has engaged further with the property

details page e.g. floor plans, photos etc.)

Converters (has performed an action on the property site e.g. download brochure, request viewing etc.)

8


Activity intensifies between 30-60 days

Base: “Converters”

Distribution of Journey Length

Casual browsing

Focused research

Accelerating engagement

Journey completion

Conversions (sample converting 5 or more times)

9


Total Converters Difference

Audience size 8.6m 3.3m

Journey length 114 days 124 days 9%

Average sites visited 9.3 sites 13.0 sites 40%

Total site visits 29.9 times 47.1 times 58%

Time spent 3hrs 1min 5hrs 04min 68%

Clickstream Study Journey Length Total Sites Visited

Finance (Current Accounts) 47 days 17 times

Energy 16 days 4 times

1

2

3

4

5

Activity Levels

Base: Those that visit Sales ‘Property Only’ Pages

Converters more active in their property search

10


The Role of Search

Search is Core to the

Research Process

11


Google drives most of the traffic to online property

35% Start journey with Google

search

10% Start journey with Google

sponsored link 12


Nearly 1 in 2 converters click on sponsored links

Use search at any point in the journey

76% 86%

Searchers who use sponsored searches 36% 43%

Average number of searches* 11.4 15.6

Total Converters Use of Search

Base: Those that visit Sales ‘Property Only’ Pages and ‘Converters’. *of those who search. 13

Source: Google/Nielsen, Making Sense of the Home Buyers’ Online Journey, UK, October 2010 14

x 1.3 Those who click on Google sponsored links

are 1.3 times more likely to convert


un

film

Over 50% of all generic searches include over 5 words

15


83% of searches included generic terms

% of Searches

Brand v Generic Searches (Converters)

92% of all searchers have used a generic term at least once

Sample generic terms: •  “property for sale” •  “buy home” •  “property to buy in London” •  “new homes paxton close richmond”

Base: ‘Converters’

Clickstream Study

Share of Generics

Finance (Cards) 20% (approx.)

Energy 30% (approx.)

In comparison to…

16


Location is key to property searching

Base: ‘Converters’. Pages in the Sale (Property Only) Market Note: Generic searches by type (%), A search is defined as one that results in a clickthrough to a property or property related website. Market and Tag terms can be overlapping with other terms. Market can only be selected once.

Top 3 % of Generic Searches by Type

83%78%

51%

Tags: Location Generic: Property Listings Market: Buy

Generic Search Types (Converters)

17


Base: Those in the Sale (Property Only) Market

First Search: BRAND > Last Search: GENERIC

40% For those who convert…

First Search: GENERIC > Last Search: GENERIC

75% 18


Generic searches are core to the journey

B = Brand, G= Generic, N = No further searches

Base: ‘Converters’/ Pages in the Sale (Property Only) Market Note: Each of the first three property searches performed by the audience. Figures Tree: % of Audience, Funnel: Actual Audience; A search is defined as one that results in a clickthrough to a property or property related website.

Search

Generic Brand 29% 71%

B 36%

G 55%

N 8%

B 56%

G 23%

N 21%

B 17%

G 50%

N 33%

B 12%

G 76%

N 12%

B 36%

G 38%

N 26%

B 11%

G 78%

N 11%

Search paths (Converters)

19


Segmenting the Market

Multiple Types of Buyers

Online with Unique Behaviours

20


More property research takes place at work 35% site visits 38% searches

21


Buyers go online for property information

…90% of those looking for property visit “local” sites

…40% visit “market information” sites

22


90% of those who visit property sites also visit home &

garden sites

23


Those already with mortgage quotes…

+34%

+55%

+20%

+10%

More likely to convert

Site visits

Searches on Google

Use sponsored links* 24


When also looking for schools, the property buyer spends 15 more days researching…

…they also visit 40% more sites

25


Summary & Recommendations

26


Summary

86% The Pathway to Purchase The consumer journey for property buyers is complex and fragmented – Google is at the centre of this with 86% using search

43% The Role of Search Generic searches, particularly those including locations, play a critical role in driving consumers to convert – 43% of property seekers have clicked on a sponsored link

40% Segmenting the Market The online research process varies between different types of property buyers e.g. those also looking at schools, on average visit 40% more property sites

27


Recommendations

• Maximise potential of your PPC campaigns, ensure relevant landing pages & clear creatives

Search is at the heart of the property research process – clicks on sponsored

links 30% more likely to lead to conversion

• Make sure floorplans are available and easy to access

• Find other ways to engage visitors – maps, video, mobile

On site engagement is key to driving conversions

• Always on marketing approach to ensure return visits • Use remarketing & consider differentiating your

message at different stages of the journey

Property seekers are not brand loyal, 75% of converters start & finish on a

generic query

• Reach potential customers with banners on other relevant sites e.g. home & garden, local, mortgage etc

Property seekers visit a plethora of sites on the road to conversion

• Ensure AdWords campaigns cover off the long tail. Broad match should also be used.

Over half of property search queries contain more than 5 words

Insight Action

28

the home buyers’ online journey · source: google/nielsen, making sense of the home buyers’...

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