The retail industry is highly competitive, and as retailers move online and into apps, tech factors play a deciding role in brand differentiation. According to a recent QualiTest survey, a lack of proper software testing — meaning glitches and bugs during the shopping experience — is one of the most critical factors in affecting consumer behavior and long-term business.
Not only do customers notice bugs and glitches, and may abandon entire purchases based on experiencing them, but they also think less positively about the brand and doubt the security of the brand's transactions — leading to lowered customer satisfaction, return rates, and lost revenue.
To put this in perspective, another recent survey found that of all US e-commerce sessions in the fourth quarter of 2015, 48 percent were returning visitor transactions. This vital statistic, along with the survey's other findings, highlights the importance of maximizing customer satisfaction and positive brand perceptions, and avoiding security doubts at all costs.
A separate QualiTest survey conducted recently revealed that 65 percent of consumers surveyed are likely to abandon a purchase due to bugs or glitches in the checkout process — whether purchasing on web, mobile web, or mobile app.
Moreover, even users who don't abandon a purchase notice the glitches. Nearly 55 percent of consumers reported experiencing technical difficulties during the billing/checkout process, and 41 percent of respondents said that bugs and glitches negatively affected their perception of the brand.
The survey further underscores the importance for retailers to make sure that they provide a seamless, smooth experience to customers, something which is not a choice, but an absolute necessity to build retail success, especially as online shopping continues to far eclipse in-store shopping.
Highlights of QualiTest's retail survey include:
■ Nearly 55 percent of consumers reported experiencing technical difficulties during the billing/checkout process.
■ 41 percent of respondents said that bugs and glitches negatively affected their perception of the brand.
■ The most common technical difficulty reported was a frozen page, which almost 60 percent reported, while 40 percent reported billing specific bugs.
■ 62 percent of all respondents said they would doubt the security of a transaction if a bug or glitch was experienced.
■ Majorities in every age group doubt the legitimacy of an online retailer when they experience a glitch.