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FINAL WORD
Challenges of
online shopping
Gone are the days of travelling vast distances to find a
specific product and no more standing in long queues to
pay. Online shopping has certainly changed the way we
shop, but it doesn’t come without its own challenges, as
Bluegrass Digital Managing Director Nick Durrant explains.
C
onsumers make split-second decisions
about whether to stay on a website or
leave. Finding out that shipping was
too expensive or not finding exactly what
they were looking for are the top two reasons
they’ll abandon a brand’s site or mobile app
without making a purchase. This is according
to a study from Episerver, the company
transforming digital experiences.
Here are a few ‘must-haves’ and challenges
that customers still have to face while
shopping online.
Inaccurate information
Shoppers are more willing to visit new
websites in search of the perfect gift.
However, inaccurate or incomplete content
dissuades shoppers from completing
online purchases. Also, since there is no
context in which to trust the company, any
element of a web page that seems ‘off’
will send them packing.
Compelling content
Most shoppers leave without buying because
there wasn’t enough information about the
product to determine it was right for them.
Content needs to be prioritised by retailers,
they need to deliver material that is relevant
to who the shopper is, where they came
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from, why they are there and how they have
behaved on-site before.
Device friendly
Most online shoppers consider a website
that works well on their mobile devices a
must-have feature. Retailers desperately
need to get their mobile strategy right,
there is a huge need for a mobile friendly or
responsively designed website.
Fast and free shipping
Many commerce companies think fast
and free shipping cuts too much into their
profit margins. The fact is, however, that
the number one reason for abandoned
purchases is that shipping was too
expensive. Consumers will dump their
purchases if retailers don't reduce shipping
costs and speed up shipping.
Guides
Many consumers consider guides a must-
have website feature. When content meets
commerce, shoppers feel as if they are being
delivered an experience and don’t need
to turn to social networks like Pinterest to
know which paint colours complement the
other, which shoes would look best with the
shirt they are viewing or how an apparel
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