Survey: Ads, irrelevant offers driving online shoppers away
Seeing too many ads is a big turn-off to online shoppers.
Excessive online ads, as well as irrelevant offers, are leading consumers to abandon their shopping carts before checking out, according to a new survey from e-commerce technology company Rokt. More than a quarter (29%) of e-commerce shoppers say being shown too many ads is one of the main reasons they abandon their cart.
Presenting irrelevant offers can risk alienating and overwhelming customers as well. Nearly three-quarters of consumers (74%) would rather receive no offer at all than one that is irrelevant to them. More than a quarter (28%) of Gen Z respondents feel overwhelmed when they receive too many offers or are presented with content that is irrelevant to them.
In the United States, a wide majority (70%) of shoppers will spend more money with businesses that they feel understand them and their preferences, with almost half (47%) saying that they want to shop again with a brand that delivers a relevant experience. In addition, roughly a third (32%) of consumers say they want to join the brand's loyalty program after an engaging online shopping experience.
[READ MORE: Survey: Men to out-shop women online, possibly spend more in 2025]
More than three-quarters of millennials (78%) and Gen Z respondents (77%) say they are more confident with their purchases when they feel a brand understands them. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Gen Z respondents say they are more likely to buy from brands or businesses that provide personalized products or services tailored to their needs.
"Consumers feel frustrated when they are overwhelmed by too many ads because it makes them feel more like a sales target than a valued customer," said Elizabeth Buchanan, chief commercial officer of Rokt. "Successful brands use AI to help foster meaningful relationships with customers, focusing on relevance rather than volume when sharing messages. By offering relevant experiences – which may mean offering no ads at all in certain cases – brands can drive higher conversion as well as greater customer loyalty and increased lifetime value."
Rokt’s survey also revealed consumer preferences towards AI in their online shopping journey. Nearly half of all consumers (48%) assume that AI is being used in their online shopping experiences. Among American consumers, 67% are aware of AI's use in search assistance, with nearly the same percentage (68%) aware of its use for personalized deals or coupons.
However, not all AI-powered shopping tools used by retailers and brands are equal in the eyes of consumers. Personalized deals or coupons and reviews are considered some of the most “delightful” AI-powered shopping experiences, while consumers say chatbots and brands anticipating their needs or desires as the “creepiest” aspects of their shopping experiences.
The Harris Poll conducted the "The Joy of Checking Out" study on behalf of Rokt from Sept. 27 to Oct. 7, 2024. The study was fielded among 7,061 adult respondents across the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Australia and Japan.
