Digital IQ Index®: Consumer Electronics 2015

Today nearly one in four consumer electronics sales occurs online and 2018 forecasts predict that the online marketplace for consumer electronics goods will exceed $100B, or more than 20 percent of all e-commerce sales. Two thirds of U.S. consumers conduct research online before making an electronics purchase decision. Moreover, a majority of prospective buyers will expand their original consideration set based on user reviews, which matter more to consumers than brand name. Smartphones, however, are a different story, with brands like Apple and Samsung fomenting loyalty that is unparalleled, and the envy of the consumer world. 32 percent of smartphone owners already own or buy other devices from the same manufacturer as their phone. Apple and Samsung currently represent over 35 percent of devices shipped on an annual basis and are uniquely positioned to capitalize on the next big opportunity in consumer electronics – “the Internet of Things”. Select brands are actively investing in efforts to remain relevant. Nearly half of the Index ensures strong organic search visibility for keywords in their category, and 47% have invested in guided selling tools to further enhance product discovery. But, only 28% are incorporating user-generated content on brand sites while less than 1 in 10 have a true ominichannel experience that indicates product availability across all channels. Genius brand Samsung in our first Digital IQ Index® for Consumer Electronics boasts a best-in-class site design with multiple paths to purchase and is one of the strongest paid display and mobile advertisers in the space. This study attempts to quantify the digital competence of 58 consumer electronics brands across four dimensions. Members can download the full report at L2inc.com.