Boring e commerce websites are failing to satisfy UK shoppers and turning them back to the high street.
Research Shows UK Shoppers Are Bored Of Online Shopping
In research conducted by the online auction site DibGrid.co.uk, consumers were found to be lamenting the loss of the ‘bricks and mortar’ high street as a result of e-commerce websites becoming dull and unsatisfying. Oliver Brand, head of customer experience at DibGrid.co.uk, said that whilst people love the convenience of online shopping, they have become tired of finding the same dull and sterile sites. In the wake of the triple-dip recession, consumers have little to choose from between our dead high streets and monotonous web shopping. Whilst we have witnessed the loss of high street giants including HMV, Jessops and Comet, research has shown that online only retailers are establishing ‘bricks and mortar’ shops in a bid to attract and maintain their new and existing customer base.
ClearlyContacts.ca, the world’s largest online retailer of contact lenses and glasses, has recently opened a 1,000 square foot shop on Vancouver’s busiest and most expensive road, Robson Street, in an attempt to regain the attention of shoppers. Owned by the retail giant Gap, Piperlime, an online only clothing and accessories retailer, opened a store in New York’s Soho district last autumn. The store held a selection of Pipelime’s goods whilst with the help of web enabled kiosks; allowed customers to purchase additional products and sizes online. Happening even in the UK, retailers such as eBay who opened a ‘pop up’ shop to allow consumers to look at 350 items from rated sellers and they buy the products online, are turning back to the high street to attract new customers.
According to the research carried out, UK shoppers have become unsatisfied with samey e commerce websites, rating the personal experience and banter with staff highest on their list for shopping on the high street. Customers were found to value interaction with ‘real’ staff and the social experience highly, but disliked the lack of choice, queues and expensive parking.
What Does This Mean For E-commerce Websites
This most certainly doesn’t mean the end for the ecommerce website. As we have seen from past experience, a retailer cannot exist solely on the high street if they wish to survive. The online ecommerce market is still the fastest growing retail sector, and has the opportunity to supply the consumer with a large variety of products at competitive prices. One of the fundamental reasons why shoppers have been turned off ecommerce websites is because they miss the personal interaction the high street brings. To counter act this, online retailers must create innovative and engaging sites that create a personalised and interactive shopping experience.
If you are selling online, now is the time to revamp your existing ecommerce website. Creating a quality shopping experience for consumers will help to ensure that they return and purchase from your site. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is with an ecommerce website from Store Express. A complete solution, a Store Express website can work as a standalone solution, or be integrated into eBay and Amazon via a multi channel marketplace edition. To find out how a Store Express ecommerce solution can help you to sell more contact the experts now.
For more information call 0845 050 3500
