In today's digital-first environment, shoppers have more choice in when, where, and how they engage with a seller. This often leads to what is becoming an issue with alarming frequency for brands: the stealth shopper. What appear to most consumer companies to be a first time visitor early in the shopping process is in reality a stealth shopper or self-educating buyer who has already completed the vast majority of research and may even be most of the way through her shopping journey and ready to buy.

For example, Jornaya research shows that in the mortgage industry, on average, consumers who converted into funded loans had four industry touch points prior to submitting a web form. Three of those visits were to unique sites, exposing that mortgage consumers are researching on multiple sites before they take any action.