Retailers need to do more to demonstrate their reliability and trustworthiness if they want to encourage more shoppers to spend larger amounts online – and mobile can help deliver that, according to new research.
A recent study of 1000 UK consumers, conducted by full service e-commerce agency, PushON, found that customers would feel more reassured to part with large sums of cash on the web if they trusted the retailer and knew exactly what they were getting for their money.
68% would be more inclined to spend larger amounts online if retailers could reassure them that they would get the same quality of service online as they do in store, for instance, by offering more detailedproduct information and accurate images or realistic videos of the product. Services such as AR on mobile that can ‘place’ the item in their home could also have a huge beneficial impact.
“While e-commerce is growing, so too is m-commerce, with 53% of online purchases made through smartphones during the last quarter of 2017. Where before mobile devices were often seen as just research tools, they are now increasingly being used to complete purchases,” explains Sam Rutley, managing director of PushON.
“And mobile technology is constantly improving and developing,” he continues. “With the growth of augmented reality (AR), consumers can try before they buy on their mobile devices, making for greater buyer confidence – perhaps they want to check if a sofa they’ve seen will look good in their lounge before they hand over the cash. And let’s not forget that there are now more secure payment options available on smartphones, such as Apple Pay, which are making m-commerce a more convenient, reliable and trustworthy way to shop, compared to carrying around physical money. Mobile technology could hold the answer to encouraging customers to spend larger amounts online.”
Yet, for those shoppers who have bought considered purchases online, few have come across any problems. Two thirds (67%) have never experienced any issues when buying on the internet, proving that online shopping is actually more reliable than people seem to think.
In fact, online shoppers claim there are lots of advantages to making purchases over the web. Two thirds (67%) of those who prefer to buy online believe it is much quicker and easier than buying in store, and over half (57%) think purchasing online is a great way to properly research a range of options, without having to take the time to travel to lots of different stores.
45% like that they can select a delivery time that fits in with their busy lifestyle when buying online, which also removes the hassle of transporting goods home from the store. A quarter (24%) also like the fact that you can immediately find out what products are in stock and what’s not when shopping online.
Rutley concludes: “Retailers also need to be highlighting the benefits of shopping via their online sites – they need to raise awareness about their fast delivery times, the ability to skip the queues, and the time it can save consumers. Customers could also be persuaded to buy online if retailers add to these benefits, perhaps by offering rewards or incentives like interest-free credit or online-only offers. This is also another effective way to build trust and encourage repeat custom.”
