Lack of sales advice costs Internet businesses nine billion euros
tuesday 7 november, 2006
Online shops in Germany throw away around nine billion euros in potential turnover annually. The reason is simple: more than half of the consumers refuse to buy on the Internet because they don’t receive any advice at the virtual shop counter. This is the result of extrapolation arrived at by the IT service provider novomind AG made on the basis of current BITKOM figures and the survey “E-Shopping Trend 2006” in collaboration with the online business magazines wiwo.de and handelsblatt.com.
In particular the over-40s group feels the lack of sales advice in the online shop. Two out of three respondents in this customer group specify the option of virtual consultation as an important criterion in choosing the shop. Amongst 14 to 20-year-olds, it is every second. The customers’ wish for sales advice is not even perceived by most of those responsible for the Internet presence. Only two out of every five online shops invest in sales assistance such as virtual sales assistants or dynamic FAQs that provide questions and answers round the clock for customers. Alongside the negative effect on customer satisfaction, the management of the online shops miss out on important data through the lack of this service, since service personnel gain valuable customer information from the online sales advice, information which could be directly utilised in the analysis of the products and their distribution.
Virtual department stores also show a deficit in the presentation of their goods. Three out of four Internet users prefer stationary retail outlets because they cannot test or touch the products prior to the Internet purchase. Yet companies see little need to act here either. Only just under every third online shop intends to improve the presentation of their offers with special aids such as zoom functions.
Consumers still see disadvantages concerning data security with online shopping as opposed to retail outlets, as almost two out of three consumers are afraid of a lack of data protection on the Web. Female consumers are the most sceptical. Almost every second woman assumes that customer information will be passed on to other providers by the online traders for marketing purposes.
Source: Novomind
