Survey: Consumers often struggle with e-commerce sites

Four in 10 consumers have difficulty with basic tasks on retail websites, with negative implications for e-tailers.

According to a new consumer survey from customer guidance platform provider goMoxie, most of the 40% of respondents who struggle with e-commerce sites are more likely to abandon the experience or switch to a competitor rather than seek assistance. Specific areas where respondents reported issues include:

• 43% of respondents struggled with insufficient, incorrect or confusing information via mobile;
• 43% reported difficulties in site navigation;
• 42% were unable to complete a transaction;
• 36% encountered an error message; and,
• 22% reported password/login challenges.

When encountering a struggle online, 62% of respondents abandoned the shopping experience, 52% shopped with a competitor, and only 26% contacted customer service.

Some businesses have turned to text messaging and chatbots / virtual assistants, but consumers don’t prefer these means of interaction. When asked which channel they prefer to use when contacting a retailer:

• 33% of respondents chose telephone;
• 26% chose email;
• 25% chose live chat with an agent;
• 13% chose self-service portal;
• 12% chose text / SMS message; and,
• 8% chose chatbot / virtual assistant.

“Consumers should not have to struggle to do business online. Unfortunately, many do and they end up leaving,” said goMoxie CEO Rebecca Ward. “We’ve already seen retail customer interaction volumes more than double year-over-year in advance of the peak holiday shopping season. Retailers should be taking steps now to guide every customer to success in order to increase transactions, strengthen satisfaction and make the most of the sales opportunities over the 2020 holiday season and beyond.”