Study: Online glitches jeopardize customer trust

Websites with technical difficulties do more than frustrate shoppers — they damage a brand’s reputation.



This was according to a new survey from QualiTest Group. The report, which was conducted with Google Consumer Surveys in June 2017, was based on a sample of more than 1,000 respondents from the United States between the ages of 18 and 54.



Despite large majorities of consumers shopping online (80% of respondents), 73% of consumers shopping with mobile Web, and 68% shopping with a mobile app said that user experiences (UX) haven’t matched widespread adoption.



Nearly 55% of consumers reported they experienced technical difficulties during the digital billing process. For 65% of shoppers, these glitches were either somewhat, or very likely to make them abandon a purchase — a factor that could lead to lower retailer profits and retailer struggles.



The most common technical difficulty reported was a frozen page (60%), followed by billing-specific bugs (40%). Understandably, 62% of all respondents said they would doubt the security of a transaction if a bug or glitch was experienced. Shoppers aged 18-24 and 25-34 were in the majority (58% and 62%, respectively) of those that would doubt the safety of the transaction.



These issues are taking a toll on a retailer’s credibility, as 41% of respondents said that bugs and glitches negatively affected their perception of the brand. Worse, 53% would doubt the legitimacy of a retailer when experiencing bugs. Majorities in every age group lose faith in an online retailer when they experience a glitch, with the two youngest age ranges expressing a slightly higher level of doubt (55% each).



“The retail industry is highly competitive, and if retailers fail to provide a smooth, glitch-free shopping experience they’ll lose revenue immediately and their chances of winning repeat customers plunges,” said Ami Sterling, chief marketing officer of QualiTest.



“This survey underscores the importance for retailers to make sure that they provide a seamless, smooth experience to customers,” Sterling added. “This is not a choice, but absolutely essential to building retail success, especially as online shopping continues to far eclipse in-store shopping.”