Right to reply: Online retail may be growing, but it can do so much better

It is excellent news that according to the recent study by Forrester (UK Online retail ‘to sustain double digit growth over the next 5 years’, Netimperative.com, 09 March), the UK is leading the way with online spend in Europe, but I do believe that this is despite retailer’s best efforts rather than because of them.

Consumers recognise in a difficult economic climate that they can find better deals online and also like the anonymity of the internet. It’s not that consumers have actually quelled their spending but are just getting savvy as to how they shop and take a bit more time to find that internet bargain.

That said, the increase in spend online appears to be despite the frustrating experience that many consumers face when shopping. E-commerce sites are often very difficult to use and present usability barriers that customers are expected to navigate around. This ranges from poor navigation to lack of sufficient product information.

Considering the bad usability of most online retail sites is it any wonder that average conversion rates hover around the five per cent mark? If more retail outlets invested in design and usability of these sites, conversion rates would surely rise. For some retailers even an increase of one per cent could lead to millions, if not billions of increased sales.

So while it is great news for e-commerce retailers that UK spend is set to continue to grow, they should also remember that there is still plenty of money being left on the table.

By Andy Budd

MD and founder of Clearleft

Brighton, UK

http://clearleft.com/

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