What Consumers Want from E-Commerce Websites [Infographic]

What Consumers Want From E-Commerce Websites by @MDGadvertising Which e-commerce website elements are most important to consumers? What should brands focus time, energy, and budget on improving? To find out, we looked at a host of recent surveys, research reports, and academic papers. From that analysis, we found that people across all regions and verticals consistently value the same few core website features when shopping online. Specifically, consumers say these five elements are essential for every e-commerce website: 1. An Easy-to-Use Experience That Loads Quickly What consumers demand most from e-commerce brands is that their websites be fast, intuitive, and work seamlessly across all devices. Functionality is the foundation: of consumers say usability and responsiveness 47% are the most important elements of an e-commerce website What makes for an easy-to-use site? Consumers place the most weight on a site's navigation when judging ease of use Consumers have a need for speed: 3 out of 4 shoppers say they will leave an e-commerce website if it's slow to load And mobile optimization is a must: of all Americans make purchases 51% online using their cellphones 77% of 18-29 year-olds make purchases online using their cellphones Simply put: If you want your e-commerce site to attract and retain visitors, then make every effort to ensure that it's easy to use, fast to load, and works well on mobile devices. 2. Accurate, In-Depth Information About Products/Services 000 Consumers say a major mistake e-commerce brands consistently make is not providing enough detail on their websites about products/services for sale. Detailed information is essential: 00 of shoppers want to be able to gain an in-depth understanding 68% of products/services when on an e-commerce site of consumers say the product/services content on a site 77% influences their decisions on whether or not to make a purchase Consumers want more than short descriptions: of shoppers expect to find 40% Q&As about products/services on e-commerce websites A say being able to ask questions 83% about products/services is important And the information must be accurate: of consumers have returned an online 42% purchase because the product information didn't match what they received of consumers say they would be unlikely to make a repeat purchase 86% from an e-commerce site that provided inaccurate product/service details People want to know as much as possible about what they're going to buy. That's why focusing on in-depth, accurate products/services content can have a huge payoff. 3. Big, Clear Images That Include Small Details It's hard to overstate the importance of good images and other visuals on e-commerce sites, especially for those brands that sell physical goods. Bad images leads directly to lost sales: of consumers say they've abandoned an online purchase 26% because of poor-quality images or too few images High-quality images are in demand: of shoppers say they want 50%) high-quality images on e-commerce sites in general HD say high-quality images 67% are important specifically on product pages Seeing details is especially important: of shoppers regularly use 71%) the zoom-in feature on product photos Shoppers expect both quality and speed: of consumers say they stop 39% engaging with a web page if the images don't load quickly Because people can't physically see or touch goods on e-commerce pages, images serve as a key proxy. That's why sites without high-quality, fast-loading visuals fall flat with consumers. 4. A Diversity of Reliable Reviews and Ratings Before completing a purchase on an e-commerce site, consumers want know what other people-their peers, as well as experts in the area-think about the products/services. Shoppers expect to find reviews and ratings: want to see what other of consumers want to shoppers have to say before see third-party 73% 50% making a decision on an product reviews on e-commerce purchase e-commerce websites Why are reviews and ratings valued so much? Consumers say: c000-00- c0000- 0-000 어 8- 오 It makes them feel It makes e-commerce It helps to ensure comfortable about a companies more the quality and purchase accountable safety of products People want ratings and reviews they can trust: of consumers say they struggle to 48%) tell if online reviews of products are truthful and unbiased Consumers don't want to only hear your opinion about products/services. By incorporating unbiased reviews/ratings into your site, you can provide a diversity of viewpoints and build trust. 5. Fast and Dynamic On-Site Search On-site search is deeply important to every e-commerce experience. For some consumers, it's the first thing they go to on a site, while for others it's a key tool for filtering products/services. Search is an essential part of e-commerce sites: shoppers say they regularly 71% use the search tool on e-commerce sites Consumers want more than a long list of results: of shoppers say they highly 70% value being able to filter products via a site's search A well-functioning search experience directly leads to more sales and revenue. To boost the effectiveness of your on-site tool, usability experts recommend taking these steps: Ensure that the search bar is easily seen Build in auto-complete functionality Search DID YOU MEAN? Use semantic search to deliver better results Include navigational elements, such as breadcrumbs, in result pages Present images and ratings within results While there are countless other things that also matter for an e-commerce experience, it's nearly impossible for a website to be effective without executing well on these core areas. Ultimately, success begins with usability, speed, in-depth product/services information, high-quality images, accurate reviews/ratings, and a great search experience. mdg SOURCES: ADAGE, AUGMENT, FORBES, GARTNER, EDELMAN, FORRESTER, HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW, IDC, MBYONIC, PERKINS COIE, TOUCHSTONE, UPLOAD, YES LIFECYCLE MARKETING, YUME. mdgadvertising.com Twitter: @MDGadvertising