Online commerce gained steam in 2013 with more and more retailers setting up shop online to reach out to customers across geographical boundaries. Advancements in technology coupled with an increase in the use of tablets and smartphones have increased the size of the e-commerce market in the UK.
At the beginning of 2013, technology consultancy company Capgemini and the UK e-retail organization estimated that e-commerce in the UK will grow by 11.5 percent. As the year winds down, the actual numbers were 10.6 percent and this growth rate was less than the 14 percent rate recorded in 2012.
Despite the sluggish rate, 2013 has revealed some interesting insights regarding the expectations from customers and this is evident in the ForeSee Customer Experience Index. According to this index, the biggest improvement for this year came from Netflix and Ikea. The improved user-interface, wider choices available for customers and excellent customer service were some of the areas where these companies scored over others. Amazon continued to top the list with its accurate product recommendations, descriptions, service and choice of products. Other companies that came in the top ten were John Lewis, Apple, Marks & Spencer and ASDA Direct. The company that came at the rock bottom was Ryanair with its poor website design, lack of quality service and delayed update of flight status.
These statistics show that more and more customers are looking to shop online and this means, it is time for the retailers to boost their online presence. In fact, customers are looking to get better information and experience through online shopping, according to statistics complied by econsultancy.com. These statistics, for example, show that customers prefer live chat over email and phone. Moreover, they looked for quality over price which means, customers tend to move to companies that offered better online service, even if it came at a price. Understanding such trends and catering to the needs of customers can help businesses to reach out to more customers in the future.