According to a recent national study conducted by Allurent, an overwhelming 82% of respondents said they would be less likely to return to a site where they had a frustrating shopping experience, and nearly a third said that a frustrating experience when shopping online would make them less likely to buy at that retailer's physical store. 55% of the consumers surveyed said that a frustrating shopping experience online negatively impacts their overall opinion of that retailer.
The Holiday Shopping Online Customer Experience Survey identified other critical issues that led to negative online shopping experiences including poor site navigation, problems with checkout, inadequate browsing capabilities, and not enough product details to close the sale. Previously reported issues include high shipping costs, inventory problems, and pricing.
Other findings of the survey include:
Esther Dyson, editor of Release 1.0, said "... In order to increase conversion rates and build brand equity, retailers need to take advantage of the Internet by providing a better experience than users can have offline... The retailer needs to offer both better browsing to attract and convert the 'just-looking' customer, and a seamless checkout experience for the purposeful buyer."