Sage Blog

At the start of June we were finally able to launch our e-Business Benchmark report- a study of views and opinions of over 2000 online businesses currently operating in the UK.

Sage Pay's Amy Monro

For months, we’ve been compiling the views and opinions of online retailers to uncover what makes an e-commerce business successful – from attracting people to their sites through to delivering the goods.  And our report is now here!  It covers marketing, influencing a purchase, making it easy for people to pay and security and fraud, combining statistics and case studies from real businesses. Plus, valuable insights from e-commerce professionals including Graze.com, Hawes & Curtis, and Ethicalsuperstore.com.

So what did we find out?

Well, that the internet is awash with window shoppers.  We found that only 7% of those that visit a shop online actually commit to making a purchase.  Flitting from site to site, it takes a lot to entice today’s shoppers!  We all know that even when we have a full shopping basket, it doesn’t necessarily mean we will end up buying.  So why is this?  It seems to me that there are two sides to success in converting sales, the emotional and the technical. If you are running an online business you will need a mixture of the two to ensure you’re not losing customers at the crucial stages.

Getting the balance right

The modern shopper often looks for emotional reassurance from a positive review, an accessible security policy, a special offer to make it more affordable or inexpensive delivery options.  These factors support and encourage your shopper through the process. It’s what helps to differentiate you from your competitors and after all, an alternative is just a click away, so it’s important to get this bit right.

E-business Benchmarking Report

Once the shopper has filled their basket, the real checkout process begins and this is where the technical reassurances come in.  Factors such as customised payment pages and a seamless checkout go a long way to position a company as ‘reputable’ and continue to build the customers trust.

Equally, so do the types of payments you accept.  As well as the usual card types, if you’re selling high-value goods, for example, you might want to consider offering Amex.  But if you’re targeting the younger generation, PayPal e-wallet might be an option.  These are crucial elements as there are very few environments today where you hand over your money before receiving the goods.

So whether you’re an online trader or just simply an avid online shopper, we’d like to know about your emotional and technical reassurance factors…

Download the E-Business Benchmark Report today

Contact us at marketing@sagepay.com

Amy Monro, Sage Pay