By Paul Skeldon
Online shoppers are increasingly frustrated with e-commerce, with poor mobile experience from most brands being their biggest bugbear, finds a study of UK consumers by Dyn.
According to the study, only 37% of shoppers think that they get the best service and overall experience online, showing that retailers still have work to do to meet customer expectations.
Shoppers’ lack of confidence is strongest with mobile, as 40% of UK consumers – more than any other country surveyed – believe that mobile shopping isn’t as fast and easy as shopping on a computer. This poor experience could explain why over a third (36%) of UK consumers say they don’t plan to make any purchases from mobile devices this year.
Two-thirds of Brits say that compared to using a computer, they expect the same quality and speed of performance on mobile at least ‘most of the time’, highlighting that tablets and smartphones could become stronger sales channels with an improved user experience and faster, responsive Internet performance.
This chimes directly with the results of our own IRUK Top 500 research that shows that only 169 of the top 500 retailers in the UK have an app and just 93 of those are transactional.
According to Dyn’s research, more than half (56%) of UK shoppers believe that the key to improving the overall ecommerce experience is for brands to provide the same quality experience, on computers, on mobile and in the store. With UK shoppers expected to spend £52.25billion online this year, retailers can reap huge awards if they provide innovative multichannel shopping experiences.
In line with this, 45% of consumers surveyed say that they would be willing to buy a product directly through social media via a “Buy Now” button, suggesting that shoppers are open to retail innovations if they make shopping more enjoyable or easier. The wide adoption of social media means there are clear opportunities for retailers to sell through social. However brands must create the right user experience through intelligent partnerships.
Paul Heywood, MD EMEA, Dyn explains: “If new ways to shop are hassle-free, secure and fast then consumers will be willing to try them. The introduction of “Buy Now” buttons by Twitter and Facebook are a good examples of brands tapping into new technologies to make shopping easier and more instantaneous.”
