Survey: Online shoppers will pay more for these features

Consumers are frequently dissatisfied with their e-commerce experience, but making them happy pays off.

According to a new survey of roughly 2,000 U.S. consumers from digital intelligence platform provider Coveo, 90% of respondents expect online shopping experiences to be equal to or better than in-store, but half say they sometimes-to-always experience a problem when shopping online.

However, more than four in 10 (43%) respondents said they would actually pay more if they could find what they’re looking for online in just a few clicks - including nearly half of millennials (48%). More than one-quarter of respondents indicated they will also pay more for the ability to easily find supporting content (28%) or discover something they didn’t know they needed (26%), and to receive personalized recommendations (26%).

The survey also reveals many consumers will desert brands with poor customer service. Almost three-quarters (73%) of respondents will abandon a brand after three or fewer negative customer service experiences. And 44% of respondents will rarely or never complain to a company about a negative customer service experience, so online retailers may never even find out about negative experiences.

“Digital technologies have driven sky high online expectations, and the situation is only getting more challenging for brands. Relevance, convenience, and simplicity are now not only expected, but demanded,” said Louis Têtu, CEO and chairman at Coveo. “In the post-pandemic world, the ability to provide relevant customer experience at every single touchpoint, every single time, could mean the difference between businesses that survive and businesses that cease to exist.”