Global ecommerce fraud protection leader ClearSale has released its annual report on trends in Australian and international online consumer attitudes and behaviours.
The report (which you can read HERE) illustrates the profound changes the pandemic has made to Australian and global ecommerce. It also offers focused insights on improving customer experience, fraud control processes, and building long-term customer relationships.
The State of Consumer Attitudes on Ecommerce, Fraud & CX 2021 report analyses insights collected from more than 1000 online shoppers each in Australia, the UK, Canada, the US, and Mexico, based on their ecommerce experiences from March 2020 to March 2021. ClearSale conducted the survey with the help of Dynata data and insights platform.
Among the key Australian ecommerce findings:
● The pandemic brought more consumers online. Some 11 per cent of the Australian consumers surveyed shopped online for the first time ever because of the pandemic.
● Younger Australian consumers do not like to pay with cards. Only 20 per cent of shoppers under the age of 55 have their credit card handy when they shop online.
● Older consumers don’t care as much about personalised experiences. Just 12 per cent of Australian shoppers aged 65 and older want to see product suggestions based on their shopping habits, a lower percentage than younger age groups.
● Checkout needs to be simpler for everyone. Some 35 per cent of online shoppers in Australia leave before buying if checkout is too complex or takes too long.
● False declines drive customers away for good. Meanwhile, 43 per cent of Australian ecommerce consumers will boycott a retailer after a false decline.
Together, the data in the report paints a picture of consumers with elevated expectations for ecommerce experiences and little patience for retailers who fail to meet those expectations. “This report shows that every ecommerce business needs to put themselves in the shoes of their customers,” said Rafael Lourenco, ClearSale EVP and partner. “Different customers want different things, but they all want a great customer experience. Every part of your business, including your fraud protection, needs to align with delivering personalised and excellent CX.”
The report also looks at which industries have been most successful at pivoting to ecommerce and which lag, covers current best practices for ecommerce brands, and discusses global trends that emerged from the survey data, including changes in online spending, cross-border shopping habits, and fraud and false decline experiences.
Overall, the data shows that “meeting customer preferences and expectations is the key to merchant success now,” said Ralph Kooi, Australia country manager at ClearSale. “Rather than competing on price, online retailers need to compete on experience, and that may require some adjustments to improve checkout, fraud prevention, and other elements of the customer journey.”
