• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, April 14, 2008

Buying green products matters so much to online shoppers that many say they are they willing to pay 5% or more for them, according to a new study from DoubleClick Performics.

And about 60% of online shoppers say they consider a company's environmental practices either "very" or "extremely" important. What's more, 49% say that--at least occasionally--they go online specifically to search out environmentally friendly products. While the green trend has been building for some time, "the number of people who say that being environmentally conscious is important to them is higher than I'd expected," says Stuart Larkins, senior vice president/search at DoubleClick Performics. "It's easy to think people who are shopping online are only looking at price, but clearly, they are looking beyond that."

DoubleClick's survey, based on more than 1,000 adults, found that consumers respond best to marketing that explains specific user benefits, such as whether a product will help lower energy bills or outlast other products. But consumers are also receptive to marketing that explains specific environmental advantages--for example, products that save trees or conserve water.

When choosing between two similar products, 83% say they are extremely or very likely to choose the environmentally friendly option. And of all online shoppers, 45% say they are willing to pay 5% or more for those products.

For retailers, Larkins says, that means products should be marketed so that they are easily searchable based on their environmental merits.

That's easier said than done. For one thing, there's been a tremendous surge in green products. A just-released study from Mintel reports that in 2007, there was a 200% increase in green launches over the prior year. For another, consumers are increasingly skeptical about all environmental claims made by companies, and are becoming increasingly adept at spotting "greenwashing."

As a result, online shoppers--particularly those in the coveted 18-to-34 age group--are putting more and more stock into what other consumers have to say. Approximately three-fourths of those who make online purchases say a recommendation from a friend, family member or co-worker--or customer reviews on a Web site--is valuable. And about 65% provide feedback themselves, at least some of the time.

By category, those recommendations are most powerful in electronics purchases (59%) and travel (53%) and least influential in baby and children's supplies (20%) and automotive (27%).

"With consumers doing so much online research and purchasing, retailers should include relevant environmentally conscious information throughout their paid and natural search campaigns," he says. (Search engines continue to be the most powerful tool for retailers, and have an impact on 32% of online consumers.) "Anything companies can do to create good content around their products--such as generating news stories or getting blog mentions--is worthwhile."