According to a new survey by guidance, more than 60% of respondents reported being drawn to online retailers that employ Web 2.0 tools and techniques.

The study had one main question for over 1,000 consumers: “When thinking about shopping online, what is most likely to make you return to a given shopping website?”

• 35% of respondents will return if the site offers recommendations on products or services for sale. Yes, a lot of traditional shopping sites already offer this feature.
• 26% say they want “a unique experience each time” they shop. This will require some creativity on the site owner. Adding relevant news to the product could be way to implement this.
• 18% say they’re more likely to return “if the site solicits their feedback” on its products and services. That’s what I always look for myself. Existing customers write and rate the products they have already purchased.
• 16% say “a welcome when they arrive” at the site is the factor most likely to make them return.
• 6% say they’re most likely to return “if the site makes them feel part of a community” with other shoppers/site visitors.

To read more about the report, check marketingcharts.com

Building web2.0 sites is becoming more feasible and affordable with open source scripts like WordPress and the huge amount of plugins that you can easily add to your WordPress installation. You can now add WordPress to complement a shopping cart script or even get a shopping cart plugin to WordPress and turn it to a store.

Regards.