The online ordering process continues to be too time-consuming for many shoppers. As many as 40% of consumers report “too many ads” as the biggest frustration when shopping on mobile devices, and 53% report the same on desktop, according to data from Usabilla.
Additionally, 34% of desktop shoppers and 31% of mobile shoppers said their biggest frustration at the point-of-purchase is having to re-enter information that should already be saved. What makes this challenge even more frustrating is that 37% of consumers said they create accounts with retailers specifically to save time and avoid re-entering information.
“Today’s shoppers go online for convenience, so slow-loading web sites, intrusive ads and clunky user experiences defeat the purpose, especially for users on mobile phones, where patience runs even thinner,” said Kathleen Hickey, Marketing Manager at Usabilla.
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Cart abandonment is another major issue retailers still need to conquer. Several hurdles stop shoppers from completing the purchase, including high shipping costs, which is the number-one cause of cart abandonment, cited by 58% of survey respondents. An additional 8% said that increased delivery time also leads to cart abandonment; and 17% of shoppers said that ashipping or delivery error would prevent them from returning to an online store.Conversely, 48% of shoppers said discounts will motivate them return to an abandoned cart.
Avoid Pushy Sales Staff Or Risk Losing 42% Of Shoppers
Inconveniences can bother in-store shoppers too, particularly if an interaction with a sales associate goes awry. A pushy sales staff can nudge customers to shop online instead of in the store, or even abandon the retailer entirely. As many as 49% of consumers have lied to sales staff to get out of a conversation in-store, and this number rises to 64% for Millennials. Additionally, 42% of consumers report that a negative experience with sales staff is most likely to cause them to never return.
But neutral or positive experiences with store staff can lead to an uptick in sales and loyalty. Up to 45% percent of customers prefer sales staff to be available, but not to approach them. Shoppers seem to have a similar sentiment for online experiences: 47%of customers would like to know that online customer service associates and chatbots are available if needed.
Customers Are Willing To Share Feedback, Appreciate Customer Reviews
Despite common pain points during the shopping journey, whether online or in-store, customers are still willing to provide feedback that will motivate retailers to improve service. Up to 37% of customers are receptive to providing feedback when asked via email, and 19% are receptive when asked immediately after purchase, especially after positive experiences. On the contrary, consumers are more likely to proactively approach retailers following negative experiences. Nearly one quarter (23%) share negative feedback via email, and 20% reach out to customer service.
Peer customer reviews are by far the most valuable information for shoppers, with 44% reporting peer product reviews as the most helpful resource (followed by online customer service associates, at 25%). Although AI-driven chatbots have been a hot topic within retail circles, consumers still don’t have confidence in them when looking for product info. Only 4% of customers ranked chatbots as the most helpful online resource for product research.
“The best way to improve the retail customer experience both online and off is to simply listen,” said Sophie Corlay, Global Communication Manager at Usabilla. “Customers are more likely to give feedback themselves after a negative, emotionally charged experience, but in general, they want retailers to ask. Retailers should feel comfortable soliciting feedback to get a more accurate, holistic picture of their CX. If they aren’t, they’re probably creating more retail nightmares than they realize.”
