E-commerce study shows experience-driven online shopping drives sales

By

Rebecca Taras

Published
Apr 12, 2017

As analysts predict Amazon will dominate 50% of all e-commerce revenue in the United States by 2021, retailers are fastidiously figuring out ways to capture and retain consumers—but it’s going to take more than a wide array of merchandise to keep up with the competition. According to a recent survey from Episerver (Reimagining Commerce), the digital-savvy consumer of today also wants to be engaged with bells and whistles, such as savvy product comparison tools and relevant website content.

While U.S. online sales are projected to surpass $500 billion by 2020, the Episerver survey states that because brands are overly focused on making transactions, they’re missing out on crucial engagement opportunities. In fact, an impressive ninety-two percent of consumers visit a brand’s website for the first time to do something other than making a purchase. One in 10 shoppers ranked personalized content as their number one digital user experience pick—this includes tailoring coupons based on location. Furthermore, 45 percent are searching for a product or service, 26 percent are comparison shopping and 11 percent are seeking out additional store details.

Another crucial finding in the study is that consumers are using multiple devices, shopping more often and diversifying what they do once online. While the majority of shoppers turn to their desktop computer for the majority of their shopping needs, nearly half of all consumers use smartphones or tablets to shop for personal entertainment and digital products—particularly those in the 18-44-year-old age range.

So, what can retailers do to keep up with the competition in a rapidly growing digital space? The study suggests brands should enhance the shopping experience by blending ecommerce and content, maintain consistency with product quality and incorporate personalization.