Like it or not, privacy matters to some shoppers

Lots of people love to share it all on the Web via posts, blogs and tweets, yet sharing has its limits when it comes to e-commerce, a study finds.

Indeed, the more potentially embarrassing the product, the less likely people are to buy it if it comes with a social media icon, such as a Twitter symbol or a Facebook “like” button. The University of Miami School of Business Administration, in conjunction with two marketing firms, conducted the study.

“Our study finds that the mere presence of social media icons on a Web page where we shop appears to cause us to feel as if our purchases are being watched by our social network, and we adjust our buying decisions accordingly,” University of Miami School of Business Administration Assistant Professor of Marketing Claudia Townsend says in a release. “Marketers should be aware that the placement of these symbols in their Web design strategy could have a major impact on buying behavior.”

The study, overall, found that when the product was desirable, like sportswear for women or fragrance, the Facebook and Twitter icons made people 25% more likely to buy. But when the products are more personal, like Spanx or Clearasil, social media icons turned away 25% of potential purchases, the survey reports.