Online shoppers experience more website slow downs and other problems completing transactions during popular shopping periods when traffic to retail websites peaks, according to a new survey by Equation Research conducted on behalf of web performance firm Gomez.
At stake is the $1,050 that each online shopper spends annually, according to the survey, with a significant amount of spending done during these peak times.
"This survey confirms that consumers expect retail Web sites to perform well for them, regardless of how many other shoppers are also visiting the site," said Matt Poepsel, Vice President, Performance Strategies, Gomez Division.
"It’s also clear that when shoppers encounter Web performance problems, their patience and loyalty run thin. Once a customer has left your site, chances are they are not going to give you a second chance–and few retailers can afford to lose business this way."
Highlights of the survey include:
- A third of online shoppers had a bad experience on a retail Web site during the 2009 Holiday shopping season and 15 percent found the problem to be "unacceptable."
- These bad online experiences caused nearly one in five online shoppers to shop at another site.
- In general, 41 percent of online shoppers will only tolerate one or two bad online experiences before abandoning a retailer’s Web site.
Related Articles:
>Cyber Monday Deals Attract Online Shoppers