8 Types of Online Shoppers and How To Engage Them (2024)

Even identical twins aren’t identical in every single way. They may dress differently, act differently, and have different hobbies and motivations. What convinces one twin to buy a pair of shoes may not convince the other. If the world’s most demographically similar duos don’t always think alike, it’s no surprise your customers don’t either.

Your target audience could fall into the same age range or geographic location, but one person’s online shopping behavior can still be completely different from the next. Understanding the shopping patterns of your audience can inform your marketing strategy, bolster your customer acquisition efforts, and increase brand loyalty.

Since global retail ecommerce sales hit $5.8 trillion in 2023—and is expected to jump to $8 trillion by 2027—it’s imperative ecommerce businesses understand the psychology of online shoppers. Learn the eight types of common online shoppers and how to tailor your marketing to reach them.

Types of online shoppers

Online customers come in many forms, from discount seekers and impulse buyers to wandering customers. These broad archetypes can indicate potential shopping behavior and guide when, how, and where in their customer journey you interact with them:

Impulse shoppers

Impulse shoppers see something they like and buy it without a second thought. Their purchases are rarely planned and often made on a whim. They may be driven to purchase after seeing your product or ad for the first time because impulse purchases are frequently driven by immediate gratification, the consumer’s emotional state, or effective marketing. This can be great for your return on ad spend (ROAS), but by the same token, impulse shoppers may be less likely to become loyal, repeat customers.

To cater to impulse shoppers, try the following tactics:

• Create urgency. Since certain emotional states can trigger impulse purchases, use marketing to create feelings that sway shoppers to buy a product, like fear of missing out (FOMO). Create offers based on urgency and scarcity, like limited-time offers, flash sales, and quick-action welcome discounts.
• Place add-ons at checkout. Like candy at the grocery store register, featuring lower-priced add-on items during the checkout flow can entice impulsive shoppers to purchase more.
• Lean into seasonality. Similar to scarcity, time-bound seasonal inventory can encourage purchases when customers are already receptive to certain products. These items often tap into nostalgia and a feeling of time passing, which can fuel an impulse buy.

While these marketing techniques can be effective, keep in mind that overusing scarcity tactics, creating a false sense of urgency, or exploiting feelings can put off shoppers and make them feel manipulated.

Need-based shoppers

Need-based shoppers only purchase an item if they believe it’s an absolute necessity. They don’t often shop frivolously; their purchases are planned and bought to solve a problem.

A need-based shopper is more likely to spend time researching products so they’re confident of their purchase when it’s time to check out. To engage a need-based shopper, emphasize the problem your product or service solves and offer credible reasons consumers need your brand.

Your online store can implement the following ideas to convert a need-based shopper:

• Be solutions-focused. Your need-based shoppers will be more inclined to buy if you point out a tangible issue, explain why it’s a problem, and then explain how your product features can solve it.
• Use reviews. Convince need-based shoppers of the value and quality of your product by providing first-hand experiences with customer reviews or influencer collaborations.
• Offer visual proof. Share product demo videos and photos to convince potential shoppers that your product works as it’s supposed to.

Price-sensitive shoppers

A price-sensitive shopper sticks to a strict budget. They prioritize cost above all else and are likely to forgo a higher-quality item for one they can afford. They might wait for sales events or holidays when they can find significant discounts. As a brand, it’s your job to convince this consumer that your product or service is worth their hard-earned dollar.

Budget-conscious consumers are always looking to save. Here’s how to help them out:

• Heavily promote sales and discounts. When you have an upcoming sale, market it using multiple mediums such as emails, website pop-ups, and social media posts. Similarly, you can use these channels or paid media to advertise discounts.
• Offer free delivery. According to Statista, 41% of global online shoppers said they’ve abandoned shopping carts because delivery fees were too high. Price-sensitive shoppers may be more susceptible than most to cart abandonment at this late stage. If you’re able, offer free shipping on orders above a certain price.
• Offer competitive prices. Price-sensitive shoppers may compare prices across multiple brands to find the best deal. Highlight your competitive prices or if your prices are higher than competitors, explain why the higher quality or better functionality is worth the cost.

Bargain shoppers

What makes a bargain shopper different from a price-sensitive one? The thrill of scoring an unbeatable deal. For bargain shoppers, the psychology is less about staying within a tight budget and more about the accomplished feeling of saving money—perceived or actual.

Exclusive deals and limited-time offers are dopamine hits for any bargain hunter. As a result, they’re not loyal to any one brand. Instead, they’re faithful to the lowest offer they can find.

To convert a bargain shopper into your next customer, consider implementing the following:

• Special discount codes. Offering unique discount codes, like those reserved for repeat customers, can feel exclusive and rare—the perfect combination to entice bargain shoppers.
• Flash sales. Use a flash sale to create a sense of urgency and convince bargain shoppers that this promotion is unique, high-value, and time-sensitive.
• Show your value. While bargain shoppers may not be the most loyal customer type, convince them of your value with customer service tools, like post-purchase emails, to help them become repeat customers.

Research shoppers

Research shoppers are the polar opposite of impulse shoppers. They are cautious buyers who weigh all their options before they open their wallets and love reading reviews, ingredient lists, and product descriptions. The more information they can find, the better.

As a business, your job is making that information as accessible as possible through:

• Detailed product descriptions. Don’t hold back on the copy for product descriptions. Anticipate the questions a shopper could have and address them in the description.
• Price comparison tools. Integrate price comparison tools into your website to make research shoppers’ lives easier and keep them from bouncing off your site.
• User-generated content. Research shoppers may be naturally more inclined to doubt unsupported marketing claims. Source and share user-generated content (UGC) to give consumers social proof and unbiased information.

Loyal shoppers

Loyal shoppers are your consistent, repeat customers. They support your brand with dependable purchases, referrals, and honest feedback. For a loyal shopper, the first few interactions are crucial. If they purchase from your brand and are happy with what they receive, they may show brand loyalty for years.

Create and maintain your loyal shoppers with these tactics:

• Follow up. Loyal shoppers prioritize customer service. Let them know you care by offering help on purchases, asking for feedback on their experience, and answering product reviews.
• Offer loyalty programs. Offer a loyalty program to encourage repeat purchases. Your program can offer reward points, exclusive discounts, or birthday freebies. 
• Offer early access. Reward your loyal customers with early access to new products or deals to make them feel valued and in the know about your brand.
• Create community. Help loyal shoppers feel more connected to your brand by creating and managing communities on social media, forums, or websites like Reddit. Active communities can create more brand engagement and provide a channel for future product feedback.

Window shoppers

In the physical world, window shoppers wander through malls, peering through window displays and rarely stopping to buy. These wandering customers don’t intend to purchase; they could be too indecisive or may simply enjoy shopping.

In the online world, window shoppers are much the same. They might spend hours browsing your website, even filling up their virtual carts, only to abandon them and never return. Converting this type of wandering customer is challenging, but it’s not impossible. These strategies can motivate a window shopper to purchase:

• Website promotions. Nudge a window shopper toward a purchase with pop-up ads and banners on your online store that offer discounts and promotions.
• Email reminders. Window shoppers often leave sites with a cart full of items. Send them an abandoned cart email to remind them of what they picked and draw their attention back to your store.
• Show off bestsellers. Entice window shoppers by highlighting your most beloved products. If they see these high-demand products, it could help convince them it’s worth a purchase.

Ready-to-purchase shoppers

As the name suggests, ready-to-purchase shoppers are prepared to buy and don’t need much convincing. These shoppers know what they want and why they need it—they look up your product with their card in hand and rarely act on impulse. They could include research shoppers who have already finished their search, or needs-based shoppers who buy value-based products repeatedly.

Because these decisive shoppers don’t need any deliberation, the best way to guarantee a purchase is by creating a seamless experience and a simple checkout process.

Here are some ways to engage with a ready-to-purchase shopper:

• Have a fast website. Optimize your website to ensure it runs smoothly and quickly. Shopify found that reducing your site speed by just a half second can significantly increase conversion rates.
• Have a top-notch product page. Don’t give ready-to-purchase shoppers any reason to doubt. Include high-quality photos of your product with detailed product descriptions, and use striking, convincing calls-to-action (CTAs) to push your shoppers toward purchasing.
• Improve your SEO. Shoppers who are ready to purchase may be more likely to favor the top few results on a search engine results page (SERP). Improve your ranking by implementing search engine optimization (SEO) best practices like internal linking and keyword-rich URLs.