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Survey Exposes Online Shopping Habits
A joint survey by BizRate.com and the NPD Group, questioning 10,000 online shoppers, has discovered that 75% had abandoned a loaded shopping cart prior to payment. Most of us have done it - whether we're simply curious about shipping charges, interested in checking out the technology behind an ordering process, or just unimpressed with the final price of goods. What is important for owners of ecommerce sites, and their developers, is that millions of dollars in potential revenue are being lost - perhaps simply because shop owners lack awareness of what happens in the post-product-choice phase.
The survey observes that 24% of consumers were unhappy with
expensive postage and handling charges, and 17% mentioned that they later bought the same goods offline and free of shipping costs.26% shopped around, and bought goods from a competitor.
To be noted, however, is that more than half of the respondents
later returned to the store at which they originally abandoned the cart, and the majority of those made eventual purchases. This is possibly indicative of customers including shipping costs in their price comparisons, or generally being more wary of online shopping.Regardless, online merchants could take a hit and reduce shipping
costs, but in turn, gain a customer.Links:
