The majority of shoppers will give up on a mobile purchase if the process is too difficult or awkward – making it more important than ever for retailers to embrace using Amazon and other marketplaces.
According to latest research from global payments expert, Elavon, Pocket Shoppers: eCommerce on the Move, which looked at the shopping mores of some 2000 UK adults, 66% of shoppers will abandon online transactions when the process is too difficult. Furthermore, more than half (58%) surveyed said that a poor experience would impact their decision to shop with the brand in the future.
The news suggests that to sell via mobile experience is everything – which means that marketplaces, particularly Amazon, which as a finely honed user experience on mobile, offer a more effective way to tap into mobile shoppers.
The major sources of frustration with existing mobile sites range from being forced to repeat information (69%) to obligatory sign-up processes (54%) and limited payment options (41%).
“Our findings show that for many people, shopping on a mobile device is often problematic. This year we saw an increasing number of shoppers use mobiles to secure Black Friday and Cyber Monday bargains causing outages on some popular websites. Retailers need to optimise their eCommerce platforms or risk losing ground to their competitors, particularly when their sites might be overwhelmed by seasonal traffic.”
– Colin Close, Managing Director, UK and International Corporate, Elavon
The research also points out that consumers have waning attention spans. 32% of those surveyed said they are often distracted while shopping on mobile, while a quarter (25%) feel they don’t have enough time.
This combination leads to another challenge for retailers facing the demands of increasingly time-pressured customers – 36% of all adults say they feel less patient when buying goods on a mobile.
When asked about when and where they choose to transact on a mobile phone or tablet, most adults (64%) still prefer to do this at home. An increasing number however, prefer to shop and pay whilst physically on the move – 23% of young adults (18-24) are most likely to do so during the commute, on lunch breaks, or waiting for friends, for example.
“Most of the eCommerce problems highlighted by this study are not difficult to get right. Our research indicates that having simplicity in design, multiple payment options, fast page loading times as well as removing barriers to purchasing, like mandatory registration processes and multiple forms, greatly improves eCommerce. Businesses must be mindful of the constant distractions and waning patience of their average customer. Undivided shopper attention is hard to come by. Abandoning a transaction is also often just a swipe away.”
– Kevin Salaman, Head of Global Omnicommerce, Elavon
