Consumers base their decision to make an online purchase on many different factors. And according to a survey by Marketingsignals.com, images play a big role. Close to two thirds or 61% said insufficient or poor-quality product imagery is a deterrent.
Considering a product image may be the first time a consumer sees the item; the survey result is not surprising. Even if they are familiar with the product, consumers go online to get more information. And this means getting a better view. If the image is of poor quality or there aren’t enough of them, they’ll go to a site which does.
The Latest Data Reveals the Problems Ecommerce Businesses Face
For small businesses, the data in this survey has some great insights, especially for first time ecommerce site owners. It goes on to report, simple errors is costing 58% of ecommerce businesses potential customers. If you address the top 10 reason which deter customers from making a purchase online, you are on your way to a solid start.
In an emailed press release, Gareth Hoyle, managing director at Marketingsignals.com addressed a similar issue. Hoyle goes on to say potential customers don’t make a purchase for a host of reasons. This includes not being familiar with the site.
Online Shoppers Can be Put Off
Hoyle says online shoppers can be, “… put off by over complicated or seemingly untrustworthy websites when attempting to make a purchase, instead opting to buy from a site they already know and trust.” Adding, “So what this research demonstrates is that it’s clear that there are simple steps e-commerce businesses can take.”
Before you take those steps, you need to identify the reasons which deter customers from making a purchase. To that end, here are the top ecommerce mistakes to avoid on your website.
Top Ecommerce Mistakes to Avoid
The number one reason people don’t make a purchase online is the issues related to images. With 61% of the respondents in the survey saying images carry so much weight, businesses have to do more to post high quality images.
In addition to the quality, you also have to take more pictures. No matter how good the image is, a single picture will not tell the whole story. Make sure you have multiple images to highlight the product.
The second reason goes hand-in-hand with the image, which is a good description. Almost the same amount of people or 57% say inadequate product description is also a deterrent. Even the simplest of products can benefit from a well written description.
Always Focus on the Details
The details you provide about the product in the description may be enough to persuade them to make a purchase. If you provide this detail, you most likely also care about the customer service, which is the third reason.
A little more than half or 52% say the lack of customer service by ecommerce businesses is a clear deterrent. Quality customer service is important in the physical and digital world. How you treat your customers will dictate the long-term success of your business.
For companies who have a digital and physical presence, there seems to be more of an effort to provide better customer service for their brick and mortar outlets. But as more people shop online, the effort needs to be the same.
Reason number four is distracting/intrusive pop ups (47%) and over complicated check-out process (43%) at number five.
At number six 41% of the respondents say they are deterred by a site with little or no social media presence. For young consumers, the social media page is where they go to when they want to connect with a brand. If your business doesn’t have a social media presence, you can lose a large percentage of this demographic.
The number seven reason is extremely important for an ecommerce site, which is delivery. Thirty four percent of consumers say the lack of delivery options can deter them from buying something. Since the item is going to be delivered, you should offer more ways to get it to them.
Rounding out the 10 ecommerce mistakes to avoid, desktop-only site design (27%), insufficient or lack of company information (16%), and not accepting alternative payment methods including PayPal and Apple Pay (11%) came in at number 8, 9, and 10 respectively.
The Survey
Marketing Signals carried out the survey with the participation of 1,213 UK adults.
Image: Depositphotos.com