The smoothness of the ordering process, a Web site’s look and feel and the ability to browse through product listings are keys to online shopping satisfaction, according to The American Customer Satisfaction Index.
While these three elements were ranked highly (at least seven in ten online shoppers cited them) customers were less taken with their experiences returning merchandise online, and information privacy assurances.
Among those surveyed, 63% are likely to shop online again within the next two month, while only 11% are not. More than seven in ten said they would do so during the next holiday season, while one-ninth said they won’t.
But when the population is broken out into those who were “highly satisfied” with the shopping experience, the desire to shop again is magnified. Eight in ten plan to do so again within two months, while only 40% of those not highly satisfied plan to do so.
Furthermore, 88% of the highly satisfied consumers anticipate shopping again next holiday season, and 90% will recommend online shopping to others. Only 48% of those with lower satisfaction levels plan to shop again next year, and only four in ten would recommend it.
“As the general population becomes more Internet savvy and sophisticated in online shopping, their expectations rise,” Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee Results said in a white paper.
Freed continued, “Unless online retailers can outpace these rising expectations, satisfaction with retail sites with will continue to suffer, leading to curtailed growth in the online retail sector.”
Investing in the customer experience has direct benefit to the marketer’s pocketbook. According to Freed, improving customer satisfaction by 3% increases the likelihood that a customer will shop online again by 1.9%.
ForeSee results analyzed the American Customer Satisfaction Index and used its own Results Satisfaction Management Technology to measure customer satisfaction with the online shopping experience during 2002.
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