Online shoppers are often left frustrated with slow-loading websites and poor mobile responsiveness, global research has revealed.
Only 37% of shoppers think that they get the best service and overall experience online, according to the survey commissioned by Dyn.
Shoppers’ lack of confidence is strongest with mobile, as 40% of UK consumers – more than any other country surveyed – said 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 said they don’t plan to make any purchases from mobile devices this year.
>See also: Retailers struggle to meet omnichannel expectations
Two-thirds of British respondents said 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.
Over half (56%) of UK shoppers said that the key to improving the overall e-commerce experience is for brands to provide the same quality experience across PC, mobile and in-store.
With UK shoppers expected to spend £52.25bn online this year, retailers can reap huge awards if they provide innovative multichannel shopping experiences.
In line with this, 45% of consumers surveyed said 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.
For a consumer looking to buy, the speed of the website is a make-or-break factor for sales. Over a quarter (27%) said that their typical reason for abandoning a purchase is because the website is too slow, highlighting a huge potential loss to retailers.
Half of UK consumers said that if a site is slow-performing they would head to a direct competitor to buy the product, and 42% said that a slow and bad quality site damages their trust in a brand always or most of the time.
In the UK though, retailers have longer than anywhere else to convince their shopper not to abandon a purchase. Brits are surprisingly some of the most patient, with 47% willing to wait five seconds or longer for a web page to load when shopping online. This is not reflective of the rest of world, in which three seconds or longer is enough to send consumers fleeing.
Competition is not limited to retailers within the UK. 65% of UK consumers have bought an item from a company outside of the UK within the past 12 months, and 88% said that they would possibly or definitely purchase from retailers located in other countries if the experience was faster and easier.
Globally, 70% of the consumers surveyed had bought from retailers located in other countries, offering UK retailers the chance to benefit from cross-border commerce as the popularity of British brands abroad rises.
“These survey results prove that consumers are willing to spend their money with retailers who provide the best online experience, regardless of where they are geographically located,” said Paul Heywood, MD EMEA, Dyn.
“For retailers this is an unbelievable opportunity to penetrate new markets, but to succeed they must ensure that they offer the same quality experience for shoppers, whether they are shopping online, on mobile or in-store, as well as offer a fast and easy-to-use service.”
