Payment downtime threatens online retailers

Onoine retailers should focus on providing an hassle-free shopping experience

Web site downtime is hampering the growth of online retail during the economic downturn, according to a study released by internet monitoring specialist NCC Group Site Confidence.

According to the study, 88 per cent of transactions carried out by the UK's top online retailers between 1 January and 17 March 2009 experienced availability problems.

On average the sites tested were unavailable to complete transactions 3.75 per cent of the time during the testing period – equating to 68 hours of unavailability.

“Customers are flocking to the web to find bargain prices and convenience across all major retail sectors, yet businesses still underestimate the importance of retaining customers by providing an error-free user experience,” said Bob Dowson, director at NCC Group Site Confidence.

“Web site functionality issues or a crash affect a company’s revenue and reputation, and sends its customers into the open arms of competitors, who are only a click away,” said Dowson.

“Availability and speed should be key concern for online retailers in maximising sales, yet many seem more concerned with expensive domain names and flashy Web 2.0 gadgets.”

A separate study by supplier Keynote shows that, in terms of availability, bricks-and-mortar businesses such as Argos, Hamleys and Tesco Direct recorded the best performance during December 2008.