Key takeaways:

• 85% “always” or “often” find brands through search engines.
• 51% use the browser, and 39% use social media links.

Objective: With the rise of social media and email marketing, brands have more ways to interact with consumers than ever before. It works both ways: consumers have more paths to reach brand websites than ever. We wanted to discover the common routes by which consumers navigate to brand or shopping sites.

Question: When visiting a brand or shopping website, how do you typically get there? (Always, Often, Occasionally, Rarely, Never)

• I type the website URL directly into the browser
• I use a search engine (e.g., Google, Bing)
• I follow links from social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)
• I click on links from online ads or sponsored content
• I use a bookmark or saved link
• I follow links from emails or newsletters

Audience: A general panel of American consumers aged 16 – 64.

Overall Results

• 85% “always” or “often” find brands through search engines
• 51% use the browser, and 39% use social media links

When visiting a brand or shopping website, how do you typically get there?

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Gender Breakdown

Men

When visiting a brand or shopping website, how do you typically get there?

Women

When visiting a brand or shopping website, how do you typically get there?

Age Breakdown

• 30% of 16-34s “aways” use social media links, vs 4% of older consumers.

16 – 34

When visiting a brand or shopping website, how do you typically get there?

35 – 54

When visiting a brand or shopping website, how do you typically get there?

55 – 64

When visiting a brand or shopping website, how do you typically get there?

Conclusion

Search engines are the most popular route to brand websites, demonstrating the importance of SEO, while younger consumers increasingly rely on social media links to access their favorite brands.

If you’re interested in digging deeper into our findings, or asking your own questions on consumer, branding and worklife topics, contact thom@atomradar.com to learn more.

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About The Author

Thom Davies

Thom Davies is a researcher at AtomRadar and content strategist for Atom.com. His background in quantitative and qualitative analysis is the foundation for data-led brand strategy.

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