15 Jan 2007
Usability issues that make it difficult for shoppers to browse, find and pay for goods online, could turn off a potential nine million shoppers in the future, research shows.
With the expected announcement of record online sales this Christmas, the poll found hidden charges and forced registration also causes shoppers to abandon orders.
Web usability specialist Webcredible found that hidden charges topped the list of shoppers’ frustrations (36 per cent) followed by forced registration (31 per cent).
Other annoyances included lack of clear delivery details (13 per cent), not offering telephone details (10 per cent) and lengthy checkout processes (9 per cent).
Webcredible director Trenton Moss says retailers need to ensure their web sites are ready to reap the benefits of the booming online shopping market.
‘It is estimated that over 25 million people in the UK now shop online, however there has been a huge variance in the success of different retailers over Christmas,’ he said.
‘Some web sites are potentially losing millions of pounds because of cumbersome processes and user frustration. If online retailers concentrate on making the buying process as user-friendly, simple and transparent as possible they will see a big difference to the bottom line.’
John Lewis, which ranked among the most user-friendly web sites, increased online sales by 60 per cent in December.
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