Convenience leads shoppers online

There is another reason e-tailers should make online shopping simple: the consumer. According to a new report from Nielsen//Netratings, shoppers turn to online venues for convenience. If an online retailer makes it simple to buy, then, consumers should return time and again.

by Kristina Knight

Instead of focusing on short-term holiday promotions, the report finds e-tailers will be better served by focusing on the ease of shopping in the long-term.

“Coming into the holiday season, retailers are keenly focused on promotions, which certainly have the ability to move the needle in the short term,” said Ken Cassar, vice president, industry solutions analytics, Nielsen Online. “In the long run, however, convenience keeps people coming back to the Internet during the holiday season. It's available whenever consumers are ready to shop, offers a wide selection, and obviates the need to fight the crowds at the mall.”

Researchers found that survey respondents who shopped online were more interested in convenience (77%). Next were comparison shopping (66%) and ease of researching products (56%).

Also of importance to shoppers were low prices (46%) and low shipping costs (24%).

This indicates, then, that shoppers are necessarily looking for deals this holiday (or any other) season. Instead, they are looking for specific products that they can purchase quickly and easily. By focusing on simple check-outs and better product descriptions, e-tailers may be able to sway more consumers to their websites this holiday season.