Complicated Websites Turn Off Online Shoppers

Online shoppers are abandoning their baskets before buying because of website complications, according to a report from the Review Centre.

Paul Nadin, founder of www.reviewcentre.com, said issues such as websites taking too long to load and not stocking specific products are some of the frustrations stopping consumers sealing the deal.

“Shopping online is easy and quick, or so we are led to believe, but some consumers are finding the process too lengthy and complicated,” he said.

“Some websites want too much personal detail from shoppers, which puts people off, while others don’t show images of products available.

“Even if shoppers get through to the checkout stage, they can find e-stores only accept credit card payments or they could be faced with an unreasonable delivery charge,” he added.

Online shopping has seen a boom in recent years, but Nadin believes shoppers want the same service from online stores as they do from town centre shops.

He said: “You wouldn’t accept poor customer service in a shopping centre, nor would you expect your debit card to be refused as a method of payment, so why would you put up with it online?

“The rise of internet shopping has made the retail market more competitive and has therefore raised the bar of what we consider acceptable shopping standards.”

He continued: “Shoppers want a fast, easy shopping experience and e-retailers need to address issues which are stopping shoppers buying. Making an internet transaction as easy as possible means happy customers and easy profits for online retailers.”

A recent report from Mintel revealed that sales from online shopping reached €18.5 billion (£12.8 billion) in the UK last year.

Director of retail research at Mintel, Richard Perks, said: “The UK has by far and away the most developed online market in Europe. The main reason for this, is the sophisticated online offering of the UK’s food retailers and the fact that so many of us now more than happy to turn to the internet to do our weekly shop (see

UK Is Number One For Online Shopping Global Market For Online Shopping Increases 40%).

At the start of the year, comScore released a study of the online shopping activity of UK, French and German consumers during Christmas 2007, showing that online shopping activity built steadily throughout the season, peaking during the first half of December (see UK and France Enjoy Robust Online Christmas Shopping Season).

Review Centre: www.reviewcentre.com