New research from Optimizely highlights a fundamental shift in online consumer behavior, driven by the rise of artificial intelligence. The study found that 42% of consumers trust AI-generated summaries without feeling the need to visit the source website, signaling the emergence of a "click-less" discovery landscape where brands have less direct control over the customer journey.
Quick Intel
42% of consumers trust AI-generated summaries without visiting a website.
Over half (52%) of consumers frequently use AI to research products.
14% of shoppers now begin their journey on AI platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini.
Younger shoppers (18-44) are 3-4x more likely to use AI for daily research.
Only 27% of marketers feel fully prepared for this "click-less" customer journey.
Historical data shows a 65% traffic surge on Black Friday, emphasizing peak performance needs.
Consumer habits are evolving quickly, with AI platforms becoming a primary starting point for online research. While two-thirds of consumers still begin on traditional search engines, 14% now initiate their journey directly on AI platforms. This trend is heavily driven by younger demographics; shoppers aged 18-44 are three to four times more likely to use AI for daily product research than those over 55, indicating a permanent generational shift in how information is gathered.
When a consumer does decide to click through from an AI summary, their expectations for speed and reliability are extremely high. Optimizely's historical Black Friday data underscores what is at stake, showing a 65% increase in website traffic during the peak shopping period. Brands must deliver near-perfect uptime and fast response times to capitalize on these valuable, AI-driven referrals. The moment of click is a critical test of a brand's readiness, where any friction can result in a lost customer.
Despite the clear shift in consumer behavior, a significant gap exists in marketer preparedness. The research reveals that only 45% of marketers have a Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategy, and a mere 27% feel fully prepared for click-less journeys. Furthermore, only 10% currently use AI for personalization, highlighting a substantial opportunity for brands to adapt their strategies to meet consumers in the new environments where they are beginning their discovery process.
The convergence of consumer trust in AI summaries and the lag in marketer readiness creates a pivotal moment for digital strategy. Brands that proactively optimize for AI discovery through GEO and ensure their digital experiences are flawlessly performant will be best positioned to win in this new, click-less landscape, where visibility and first impressions are increasingly dictated by algorithms rather than traditional search results.
About Optimizely
Optimizely is on a mission to make the lives of marketers better with Optimizely One, the world's first operating system for marketing teams. Optimizely One combines industry-leading solutions across content management, content marketing, experimentation, commerce and personalization, powering every stage of the marketing lifecycle through a single, AI-accelerated workflow. With the flexibility of a fully composable platform, Optimizely is proudly helping global brands like Salesforce, Zoom and Toyota create content with speed, launch experiments with confidence, and deliver experiences of the highest quality. Learn more at optimizely.com.
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