Bad Online Experiences Affect Brick-and-Mortar Shopping: Study

By Allan Pulga

It seems making a good online impression has become more important than ever, for conventional brick-and-mortar retailers.

A recent study conducted by Allurent Research has found that 41 per cent of consumers in 2006 said a frustrating online experience would make them less likely to shop at that retailer’s physical store, up from 28 per cent in 2005. In addition, 82 per cent of respondents agreed that a frustrating online experience would discourage them from returning to a retailer’s site. And 59 per cent said such an experience negatively impacts their overall opinion of the retailer/brand.

“The line between off- and on-line brand experience is blurring,” says Graeme Grant, Allurent’s vice-president of sales and operations. “An online store needs to provide the same exceptional customer experience as the store’s physical location in order to build and maintain customers’ familiarity and resulting loyalty with the brand.”

Previous research has shown more consumers than ever are researching their purchases online prior to going out and buying such items in-person, making it imperative for retailers to keep their websites are up-to-date and in-tune with their store locations, promotions and inventory. Cellular consumers are especially finicky online researchers. What’s to stop shoppers from finding a similar item at another website/store, if they’re dissatisfied with the online experience you offer?

Other findings from the Allurent study that may help you improve your website are:

• 74% are interested in clicking on an item to create a pop-up window with more product details, such as: price, size, colours, inventory availability, etc.
• 70% want to click on an item and add it to their cart without leaving the page they’re on.
• 68% want to “feel” the merchandise through better imagery and in-depth product descriptions and details.
• 64% want to enter all the data related to their purchase on one page, rather than go through several checkout pages.