People shopping online are generally more satisfied with the experience then those who shop in stores. This is nothing new; the trend has been evident for a couple of years. However, the gap looks like it could widen as more and more consumers shop online.
According to the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) E-Commerce Report from ForeSee Results, customer satisfaction with the e-commerce sector improved to a total satisfaction score of 79.6 out of 100. While this is a point lower than the rating two years ago (80.8), it has been steadily improving over the past year – up 1.3 points over last year. This compares to offline shopper satisfaction of 72.4% - down 0.3% from last year.
The gap between online and offline satisfaction is now more than 7 points or a total of 10% greater. A number of factors could explain why the trend in favor of Internet shopping:
· Greater price comparison opportunities online
· Less time spent shopping (no need to worry about parking!)
· Free delivery options by many e-tailers
· Increasing customer demands and standards
· More aggressive competition drives sites to improve customer services as a point of differentiation
The reports states: "As consumer standards rise, the "best of the best" e-commerce organizations are increasingly standing out from the rest of the pack, challenging competitors in their categories to enhance their focus on customer satisfaction in order to compete successfully."
Leading the pack of the top performers are e-retailers (e.g. Amazon) with an 81% customer satisfaction rating. Auctions, brokerage, and travel sits are close behind.
Source: ForeSee Results
"E-retailers used to be at a disadvantage because customers couldn't touch and feel their products, but they've figured out that there's a whole lot more they can offer to make up fo that," said Larry Freed, CEO of ForeSee Results, in an interview with eMarketer.com (see Shoppers Show Rising Satisfaction with Web Shopping). “Today's online stores have evolved significantly, offering advances such as 360° views of products, customer reviews, side-by-side product comparisons, and extensive product information and specifications that often exceed what is available in a store or catalogue."
The report cites Amazon.com as a proud retailer with some past ups and downs. The e-tailer had lost 4.5% in customer satisfaction ratings, but posted a 3.6% gain after making significant site changes. Though I have to admit, Amazon.com is very good on fulfillment of customer orders, but the site lags behind leaders with respect to site usability.
The lesson is simple: if customer satisfaction is a priority for your organization, then you should be using the web as a differentiator over the competition.
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© 2006 Toby Ward - Prescient Digital Media
