70% of consumers go online to search as soon as they decide they want to buy something. Getting from this initial stage of having a problem or need and knowing a purchase will resolve it to becoming a happy and loyal customer is complex and non-linear. Identifying and resolving the frustrations of online customers is a challenge that all businesses face, but where should they start? Leading customer insight platform Feefo has released the results of their recent survey, which questioned 2,000 UK adults on this very topic.
Not being able to find answers to their questions is the most common frustration that online shoppers experience in 2020, with 53% of respondents agreeing. 80% of customers say that they use FAQ sections on websites to inform their purchasing decisions, and 79% of shoppers have abandoned their cart before completing a purchase, suggesting that businesses still have a long way to go with making their websites as helpful, clear and transparent as possible.
63% of consumers cite high shipping costs as a frustration which prevents them from hitting the all-important ‘buy now’ button after filling their online shopping baskets. Given that 82% of people said that price is the most important consideration when looking to make a purchase, businesses should really be analysing their market intelligence data to decide whether lowering or even reducing shipping costs will be worthwhile for revenue, profitability and customer loyalty in the long-run. This links back to the ‘Amazon effect’, with Prime Delivery and free delivery over £20 setting the bar ever-higher for eCommerce stores, by building customer expectations.
Feefo’s Head of Digital, Richard Tank says ‘While Google’s online monopoly on the web has long been documented, it’s clear that Amazon is now just as prominent as the search engine, even though it’s technically an online retailer.’ And it’s because of Amazon’s prevalence in the online shopping world that consumer expectations are higher than ever, and why basket abandonment is so high at the point where shipping costs are added.
30% of consumers will switch to a competitor after just one bad experience, so it’s incredibly important that businesses take the time to better understand the frustrations of their audiences; researching the nuances and idiosyncrasies of their own customers in order to remove barriers to sale, while delivering a customer experience which outshines that of their competitors.
Image Credits: Daniel Eledut, Feefo
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