A recent survey conducted by global reviews and consumer insight experts Feefo has revealed that businesses need to listen and engage better with their online customers at each stage of the purchasing process in order to learn more about consumer behaviour and loyalty. This is especially important during these uncertain times. There are several steps that consumers take before making the decision to buy a product, as many shoppers do not simply purchase an item without careful consideration.

Feefo surveyed 2,000 Brits, asking them a range of questions on topics including everything from their purchasing bugbears, to how they behave and think when shopping online. 30% of respondents suggested that being passed from one person to another when making a call to a company call centre was their biggest annoyance, while 21% found automated voice systems to be their biggest customer service gripe.

The survey also found that 53% of online shoppers feel that being unable to quickly and easily find the answers to their questions is their biggest frustration. 79% of online shoppers admitted that they had abandoned their shopping cart before completing a transaction on an eCommerce site, while 63% of consumers claimed that high shipping charges were the main reason behind them not going through with their online transaction.

‘Brands small and large must do everything they can to build relationships with their customers, to ensure they keep coming back for more. Listening, learning and developing more personalised customer experiences is key to long-term success,’ said Richard Tank, Feefo’s Head of Digital. Using the data from Feefo’s research can help build these relationships, by better understanding the customer’s expectations and frustrations, for example, with shipping costs.

He continued: ‘Today’s digital landscape is ever-changing and businesses have to meet the needs of their customers across the whole purchase journey in order to maintain sales and brand loyalty. The findings of this survey emphasise that’.

Feefo’s survey also suggests consumer loyalty to certain brands is greatly determined by the type of experience they have when shopping with a brand, and that brand loyalty in itself is under threat, with almost one-third (30%) of shoppers claiming that they would switch from one brand to another if they had even one negative experience with a company. This, again, highlights the volatility of new customers and loyal costumers alike, showing that online shoppers in 2020 need to have their needs met at all times, and that businesses must avoid the common consumer frustrations.

The infographic below reveals all the statistics from the research:

How do consumers think and behave across the purchase journey? [Infographic]