• October 3, 2006

Web users are leaving e-commerce sites without making purchases because the sites aren't providing them with enough information, according to a new study by Allurent. Eighty-three percent of Web users recently surveyed by Allurent--which provides rich media applications to e-commerce sites--said they would buy more online if retailers "added more interactive and interesting ways to display and purchase products." What's more, 67 percent of survey respondents said they had visited an online retailer intending to make a purchase, but didn't because the site didn't give enough information to make them feel comfortable with an online purchase. What kinds of features do buyers want? Eighty-six percent said the ability to make a purchase with one click, and other shortcuts, would make them more likely to buy online. Other popular answers included 360-degree product views (78 percent), configurators (74 percent) and customer reviews (73 percent). For the report, Allurent surveyed 803 U.S. adults via e-mail last month.

--Wendy Davis