Online merchants offering ‘controlled promotional offerings’ or limited-hour sales has increased from 9% to 22%. Sites offering product comparisons has risen from 21 to 27% and use of ratings/review features have increased from 24 to 32%, according to etailing group study.


Online merchants offering ‘controlled promotional offerings’ or limited-hour sales has increased from 9% to 22%. Sites offering product comparisons has risen from 21 to 27% and use of ratings/review features have increased from 24 to 32%, according to e-tailing group study.

e-tailing has shopped with 100 ecommerce stores, anonymously, and has reviewed 75 features.

e-tailing has rated each online store on various factors including, customer service, shipping practices, site features and merchandising tactics.

Some of the important findings of the study include:

Only 33% of merchants offer conditional free shipping. Last year 48% offered free shipping.

Only 31% require shoppers to register before purchase. Last year it was 42%.

Only 62% offered guarantee on site. Last year it was 71%.

This is the e-tailing group’s 8th annual ‘Mystery Shopping Study’ conducted in the 4th Quarter of 2005.

e-tailing analyst Freedman concluded: “For continued growth, merchants must now leverage technologies to contain costs and optimize resources in order to deliver ever more personalized and integrated multi-channel shopping experiences”. [click here]

To know more about the research process of the study, click here.

To read the report titled, ‘Customer Service Excellence’ (1 page), click here.

To read the report titled, ‘Customer Service Bests’ (3 pages), click here.

This report is in Pdf format. You will need Adobe Acrobat to read this report. To download a free acrobat reader click here.

 

 

 

 

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