by: Michael Catt
During 2004, US Customers purchased $300 billion worth of goods and services from Business Internet websites representing slightly more than 21 percent of total US web sales of $1.4 trillion. But the trend for US Customers clearly shows concerns that need to be addressed by businesses that sell products and services on the world wide web to US Customers.
Although seven out of ten US Customers abandoned their transactions at Web Storefronts resulting in non-salvageable lost sales opportunities, the $300 billion worth of goods and services that were successfully completed were a result of internet-savvy US Customers who knew which websites and which companies guaranteed their security, the quality of their products and provided a common sense user-friendly interface for their web storefronts.
And now, the rest of the 100 million online buyers have an accurate method to determine which websites and which companies they should definitely browse, based upon direct feedback from online buyers who have successfully and securely conducted online transactions.
US Customers clearly expressed their concerns regarding barriers to online purchasing, including Credit Card Security (79%), Disclosure of Personal Details (77%), Distrust of Web Retailers (48%), Complex Order Processes (21%), Time Consuming Order Processes (20%) and Unfamiliarity with Web Storefronts (40%).
US Customers also expressed specific concerns about making internet purchases, including Information Sold to Third Parties (89%), Information Stolen from Web Databases (89%), Transmitting Credit Card Numbers (85%), Transmitting Addresses or Personal Data (86%) and Receiving Unwanted E-mails (84%).
These figures are also clearly reinforced and represented in the growing problem of Identity Theft in the US.
In 2004, 100 million online buyers (64%) of the 180 million total online users purchased goods or services via business website storefronts. But the details of those transactions are revealing. Seven out of ten US Customers abandoned their transactions at Web Storefronts resulting in non-salvageable lost sales opportunities. Of the remaining total, 7.8% abandoned their transactions at the web storefronts, but those sales were salvageable through direct communication with the customer. The remaining 22.2% of customer initiated transactions at web storefronts were successfully completed.
The average US online retail spending amount was $585 per customer per web storefront. Four out of ten web shoppers indicated that they were less optimistic about online security in 2004.
Copyright 2005 JMCatt, Incorporated