• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, May 25, 2018

 Technology has dramatically changed the online experience for consumers, and, along with this, digital platforms continue reshaping the way consumers interact and engage with each other, as well as with online brands. This new reality has made capturing consumer business and loyalty a bigger challenge than ever for eCommerce brands, says a new study by Namogoo, the 2018 Online Consumer Behavior Study.

To better understand the state of contemporary consumers, the Namogoo study asked more than 1,300 online shoppers about their shopping habits, what online and offline distractions are competing for their attention, and what factors most influence them to embrace, or abandon, their online shopping experience. 

Key Findings: 

• 44% of online shoppers use their smartphone to shop more than any other device. Over half of consumers are doing their shopping online while simultaneously performing other tasks competing for their attention. 
• Prices and shipping fees are the most important criteria influencing shopping decisions for more than 90% of respondents. Additionally, 77% cite shipping and other extra fees as the main reasons they would abandon their online shopping cart. For both mobile (63%) and desktop (53%) shoppers, having to enter the same information twice was the top reason chosen as the most frustrating part of the checkout process. 
• Email is still a very efficient channel to recover cart abandonment as 38% of respondents indicated they have returned to an eCommerce site to complete a transaction after getting an email offering a discount on the products in their cart. 
• 78% of consumers exposed to unauthorized injected ads, while shopping on an eCommerce site view, that retailer in a negative light as a result. 62% feel these ads mean the customer experience is not a priority for the retailer. 
• Over 55% of respondents are likely to click on ads appearing on retailer sites that offer the same product they’re looking at for a lower price. 80% of visitors who end up purchasing elsewhere are likely to buy again from the site that lured them away. 

The numbers revealed in this survey indicate that online shopping is a regular part of consumers’ routines, and that a significant portion of online consumers are active shoppers. 42% of consumers stated they shop online at least once per week, while 26% indicated they shop online two or more times per week. Only 18% of consumers stated they shop online less than once a month. In terms of dollars spent, nearly half of consumers stated they spend more than $100 per month online, with 6% spending over $500 per month. 

Similar to other mobile commerce research, our consumer responses showed that mobile shopping accounts for a significant percentage of overall shopping. 44% of online shoppers stated that they use their smartphone to shop more than any other device.

When asked to select the top reasons that influence their decision to shop at an online retailer, consumers four specific reasons stood out: prices, shipping, selection, and delivery time. These were the top reasons across all segments including gender, age, and monthly spend. 

Shipping fees are most responsible for cart abandonment 

Consumers are most likely to abandon an online shopping cart over shipping costs and other extra fees. Chosen by 77% of respondents, this was the main cause for abandoning a purchase by a wide margin. 

Ohad Hagai, SVP Marketing, concludes by noting that, “while retailers can’t control the offline issues, they can control the online experience. Competing successfully in such a landscape demands that organizations adopt a customer- centric approach, and stay ahead of the technological curve by implementing proven methods that make every touchpoint of their customers’ experience seamless.”