 With e-tail body IMRG announcing record online sales for the Christmas shopping period, a new poll shows that hidden charges and being forced to register on a website are the biggest bug bears for online shoppers, and could be causing as many as 16 million UK Internet users to abandon an order.
The poll asked Internet users what would be most likely to make them abandon an online purchase. Respondents listed the following frustrations:
- Hidden charges topped the list of frustrations for 36%
- Having to register before buying a product, which polled 31% of the votes
- Not providing clear delivery details (13%)
- Not offering telephone details (10%)
- Lengthy checkout processes (9%)
With online shopping increasing by 40% in 2006, the poll shows that retailers need to ensure their websites are ready to reap the benefits of this booming market.
However, this usability study has revealed that many of the UK's biggest retailers are making it too difficult for shoppers to browse, find and pay for goods online, with Top Shop and Next among the worst offenders. In contrast, John Lewis was ranked in the top five most user-friendly websites and achieved a 60% increase in online sales in December.
It's estimated that over 25 million people in the UK now shop online, however there has been a huge variance in the success of different retailers over the Christmas period. Some websites are potentially losing millions of pounds of business due to cumbersome processes and user frustration, to the benefit of competitors who are just a few clicks away.
PCD has long been working with clients on making the e-buying process as user-friendly and simple as possible, with some dramatic changes to the bottom line and ensuring they achieve a greater share of the booming online retail market. If you’d like to talk to PCD about your existing or planned website developments, please call Steve on 01943 882312 or email steve.moncrieff@pcdagency.com.
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