Recently we came across a news item revealing that the level of e-commerce complaints has risen 300 percent in the last three years. Whether that figure is accurate or inaccurate, 300 percent in three years is a massive jump.
It’s not that bad online shopping experiences have suddenly become an epidemic. Simply, more and more consumers are shopping via internet and logic states there will be an increasing number of complaints.
In any case, it piqued our curiosity: What are consumers mostly complaining about when shopping online? We did a little digging and found five popular e-commerce complaints that are generally easy fixes.
E-Commerce Complaints: Our Top 5
We could put a list of e-commerce complaints together that would number in the 20s. Instead, we’ve kept it simple and listed the top five we hear about – and what merchants can do to improve.
1. Checkout process is too long
Not every e-commerce merchant can afford one-step checkout. There are many variables that go into a selecting and modifying a checkout site. We’ve found that having a steps indicator or a progress bar, which shows the consumer how many more steps are left to complete the sale, will reduce shopping cart abandonment significantly.
2. Create an account? Goodbye!
This issue is still one of the most popular e-commerce complaints, but not for long. E-commerce merchants are realizing that not offering a ‘continue as a guest’ option is a gateway to increased instances of shopping cart abandonment.
3. Deluge of e-mails
E-mails and occasional contact is encouraged, especially when informing the consumer about receipts and the shipping process. One complaint we often hear, however, is how consumers receive a barrage of e-mails following the sale, for which they don’t remember signing up. More and more, online businesses are offering different options for e-mail contact such as daily, weekly and monthly sales alerts and offers to receive a newsletter.
Online merchants should integrate contact options within the checkout process and make them prominent, so that the consumer isn’t receiving unsolicited e-mails.
4. Website wasn’t secure
It is a common complaint: ‘I wanted to buy something, then I realized the website wasn’t secure.’
In other words, there is/was no ‘https’ in the URL. We blogged about this issue a few months back, and we feel it’s another complaint that will slowly disappear. As of Jan. 1, 2017, Google announced it may begin to penalize unsecure websites in search rankings to combat against the e-commerce fraud epidemic.
5. Contacting the merchant
Based on what we’ve found, most e-commerce complaints are linked with contacting the merchant, whether it be difficult to find, slow response time or no response at all. Some merchants prefer an embedded contact form or an e-mail. We advise having both, plus a direct number to which merchants can speak with another human being.
E-Commerce Complaints – What’s Your Experience?
Instabill furnishes e-commerce merchants around the world with payment solutions such as credit card processing, options for mail order/telephone order businesses as well as virtual check solutions. We’re curious to hear about the most common complaints you’ve experienced. Kindly leave a comment below.
