What are customers’ expectations when online shopping?

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When consumers shopped online prior to 2005, when Amazon started offering free 2-day delivery for its Prime customers, they expected to wait for several days or sometimes up to a week for their orders to arrive. Online shoppers also expected to pay shipping and handling fees for their orders. Currently, thanks to Amazon offering next-day and same-day shipping options to their Prime customers, expectations have changed. Now, according to easyship.com:

61% of shoppers want their items delivered within three hours of making an online purchase.

On top of that, shoppers harbor strong feelings about paying for shipping costs for their online purchases. Studies show that:

61.8% of buyers consider shipping costs above all other factors.
73% of buyers have abandoned a cart because of shipping costs.

Online shoppers also expect a variety of payment options, including Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and installment payment options. While these payment methods are by no means new to the marketplace, BNPL is appealing more to younger consumers who appear to be more debt-conscious than prior generations and leery of using credit cards. Most importantly, consumers now prefer to shop from their mobile devices. According to oberlo.com,

The share of mobile e-commerce sales among total e-commerce sales has increased 39.1% from its 52.4% market share in 2016 to the current 72.9% market share.
Nearly three out of every four dollars spent on online purchases today is done so through a mobile device.

This is why e-commerce companies need to optimize their websites for mobile device usage. Online shoppers also expect a variety of delivery options for their orders, including pick-up in-store options. E-commerce consumers are more apt to shop your brand if they know they can easily return and exchange items.

If you could use some help meeting the high expectations of online shoppers, contact Phase V Fulfillment. As a trusted 3PL provider, we offer growing e-commerce businesses benefits and savings that are hard to pass up so you can focus on running your business.