When buying a product or signing up for a service online, four-in-five (79%) Americans indicate that the privacy policy for customers’ personal information is an important feature of an e-commerce site, according to the second annual National Technology Readiness Survey (NTRS). “Many factors go into the design of a web site, such as the look and feel, navigation and content,” says Charles Colby, president of Rockbridge Associates. “But in order to design a prosperous e-commerce web site, companies also need to consider a number of shopping-related factors, such as protecting the privacy and purchasing rights of consumers, and providing sufficient help if the online shopping process does not go as planned.”
“Seven-in-ten consumers are looking for clearly spelled out policies on warranty protection, returns, and shipping and handling fees. And nearly two-thirds (64%) would like retailers to post clear explanations or descriptions of the product or service on sale.”
“Technical support and after-sales service forms a secondary tier of consideration”, adds Colby. “Chief among the items mentioned is the availability of customer support either via telephone (considered important by 58% of consumers) or online (53%).”
Of comparatively less importance are available payment methods and brand names. Colby notes that the former may have to do with the speed to be gained by furnishing a credit card number online, despite the security concerns. In fact, among online purchasers in the past year, the method of payment most often used has been the credit card (82%), which is also the most preferred method of two-thirds (68%) of online purchasers. By contrast, only one-quarter (26%) would turn to a checking or debit card that withdraws money directly from the customer’s account. And with regard to brand names, Colby remarks that, “interestingly, the marketability of non-brand-names may be less of an issue provided adequate return policies and product guarantees are in place.”
Colby states that one of the most significant finding to emerge from the NTRS, from a customer-service perspective, is that “online shopping help-options bring us back to consumers’ desire for the human touch.” When customers need help, 84% find it at least somewhat desirable to call a customer service representative on the phone, although most are amenable to any type of help option that is offered. This approach is confirmed in another way: When asked about their most preferred way to receive help for the problems and issues consumers might face when shopping online, 46% of consumers named a phone conversation with a customer service representative. The upshot, says Colby, is that “the market of tomorrow may be more dependent on a live person than it is today, as the next generation of less technology-savvy, more cautious shoppers, comes online over the course of the next 12 months.”
For more information,contact Gina Woodall, President at 703-757-5213 ext. 11 or gwoodall@rockresearch.com, or Charles Colby, Chief Methodologist and Founder, at 703.757.5213 ext. 12 or ccolby@rockresearch.com.