Shoppers: online hubs lack "experience"

Online shopping hubs may be missing out on a large chunk of revenue this holiday season. According to a recent study from Future Now, e-tailers are focusing too much on innovation instead of focusing on the customer experience.

by Kristina Knight

To reach the results, Future Now sent mystery shoppers and conversion experts to more than 300 e-tailing sites to find out what they are doing right and what could be improved upon.

Results from the 2007 Retail Consumer Experience Study found that consumers care more about simple checkouts and having items in stock than whether or not they can zoom in for a better view of a particular product. Rather than focusing on these new shopping innovations, the study suggests that e-tailers should refocus their efforts on site navigation and the overall shopping experience.

With holiday shopping in full swing, it could be too late for e-tailers to change an entire outlook. However, it is never too late to plan ahead. By making sure that check-outs are simple, that items are in-stock and ready to ship this holiday season, e-tailers will ensure that shoppers come back in the future.

Also, knowing that consumers are more concerned with the actual shopping experience than the extras offered by some sites, marketers have a better chance to offer what consumers actually want: a simple shopping and buying experience.