Shopping cart abandonment on ecommerce websites

[amy]

Report from Scan Alert on shopping cart abandonment on ecommerce websites

Digital Window Shopping Report
http://www.scanalert.com/pdf/DigitalWind...ay2005.pdf

The report is from May 2005, but it does have some interesting findings.  On average there is a 19 hour time delay between a shopper's first visit to a web site and their first purchase which indicates shoppers tend to research their purchases before buying.  According to the report, "trust factors" play a large part in the final purchase decision.  The report also states that "among those who comparison shop the most, trust factors act as strong motivators when present. And conversely, they can also be strong barriers when absent."

The report also lists the average time delay before making a purchase decision for various categories of merchandise.  Infant products are the lowest at 8h 50m, and Golf Equipment is the highest at 61h 19m.

[mandy]

ScanAlert has released an updated Digital Window Shopping Report

The easy availability of digital window shopping is stretching the time between looking and buying online, according to a new report, “Digital window shopping: The long delay before buying,” from online security services provider ScanAlert. The average delay between when shoppers first visit an e-commerce site and when they make a purchase is now, at 34 hours and 19 minutes, 80%, or more than half a day, longer than the 19 hours and 11 minutes ScanAlert reported in 2005.

“The primary reasons for the increase over 2005 are greater sourcing choices and the availability of broadband access at work and in the home,”...

full article: http://www.internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=23071

[mandy]

A related article:

Web shoppers have a need for speed. They've gobbled up broadband connections, and they're less patient in poking around sites that they perceive as wasting their time. They've also gotten a little smarter -- and more squeamish -- about credit card fraud, and they'll quickly take flight if they don't feel right about an e-vendor's security...

Today's online shoppers may be more cautious than they were two years ago. Some are waiting up to 35 hours before completing a shopping cart transaction.

A study of consumers' Internet buying habits suggests that online merchants face stiffer competition and new hurdles in closing sales over the Web...

full article: http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/Ki6W...lity.xhtml