Here’s What Bothers Consumers Most When Shopping Online

Slow page load speeds drive customers and visitors away from websites. They’re also the biggest frustration that consumers have when shopping online, according to a report [download page] from Coveo. In surveying 4,000 shoppers in the US and UK, Coveo found that one-third (33%) cited slow websites as being among their biggest online frustrations.

That figure rose to 36% among Gen Z consumers (born 1997-2012), who have previously reported higher levels of online shopping friction than older adults.

Closely following slow sites in the list of online shopping frustrations is difficulty finding what the shopper wants, cited by 32% of respondents overall and one-third (33%) of Gen Zers. Advanced site search functions could likely help mitigate this frustration, but research has shown that e-commerce professionals are failing to optimize site search. Indeed, on a related note, more than one-fifth of shoppers (22%) and one-quarter (25%) of Gen Zers complain that websites don’t allow them to filter searches.

Rounding out the top 5 online shopping frustrations are missing product information (27% overall; 30% of Gen Zers), complicated or disorganized site or app navigation (26% overall; 27% of Gen Zers), and lack of mobile friendliness (25% overall and of Gen Zers).

There appear to be some age-related differences in attitudes to product discovery and personalization, per the report. For example, 57% of Gen Zers want to discover something new that they didn’t know they needed, but that figure declines with each successive generation, to just 24% of Baby Boomers. Likewise, while 55% of Gen Z say they want recommendations tailored to their individual buying habits and preferences, that figure falls with each successive older cohort to 28% of Baby Boomers.

In other highlights from the report:

• Almost half (48%) of shoppers report having abandoned an online purchase when asked to create an account.
• More than 6 in 10 (62%) are concerned about how personal data is used by online retailers.
• Some 64% of Gen Zers and 62% of Millennials surveyed say their shopping behavior has changed over the past 12 months by shopping at more affordable stores, while fewer than half (29%) of Baby Boomers agree.
• Close to half (48%) of shoppers are motivated by urgency messages, such as limited time discount, number of items left in stock, or number of hours for next-day delivery.
• Some 45% are motivated by customer reviews, recommendations for complementary items, or the number of people who have bought an item.

For more, download the research here.