How many clicks of separation are there between users and purchases in online eCommerce?
According to the theory of degrees, between one person and another in the world there are at least 5 intermediaries to separate them. In the online world, on the other hand, how many clicks are there between a user who starts a purchase process and the thank you page for the completed order?
The COVID19 epidemic that has hit and is still affecting the whole world was a real revolution. The rules of sociality we were used to have changed, preventing physical relationships, limiting gatherings and closing everyone at home for at least 3 - 4 months, trusting not to repeat the experience.
Everyone has had to get used to this drastic change in the way of life and this has had a huge impact on the world of shopping: being unable to enter stores and shopping centers freely, online stores have been stormed and purchases online have had an incredible surge. In Italy today there are a total of 2 million new consumers online and 1.3 million emerged during the pandemic. But is it so simple to make an online purchase? How many clicks do you need to make to get to the end of your order?
Recent research tested the major online clothing stores, from the moment of purchase to the moment of checkout. The research has selected the largest 13 clothing eCommerce and on each one, it has verified the number of clicks necessary for a purchase, also including all the flags and control buttons necessary to validate the purchase. The purchase simulations took place as guest users without registering on the site and having already decided what to buy, so both the timing of the decision-making process and the completion materials - and even some lag due to the single connection, are not considered.
The results were interesting: they range from a minimum of 15 to a maximum of 25 clicks: it can be said that the stores are fairly aligned without too many differences. Legend has it that there would be 3 clicks within which a user would have to find the information they need, otherwise frustration and mutiny of navigation. Going beyond this rule disassembled and reassembled several times over the years, the ideal would still be to aspire to make the user take a few steps precisely to avoid too many actions bothering him by failing to easily and quickly finalize the purchase.
Therefore, creating or modifying an eCommerce making it intuitive and easy to navigate must be the goal of brands: it is important to think and model a real customer experience, where the consumer's journey is designed especially for him. The user experience must be simple but dedicated and effective, then becoming a real difference between competitors on the network.
On the other hand, it is perplexing that only 3 eCommerce of those analyzed have an express checkout as a payment method for those who log in as an external user and want the speed of execution of the purchase.
The presence of 1 eCommerce was also found with a single payment option via credit card, without offering intermediation systems such as Paypal. In this context, it is important to offer online users more options. For example, some brands give the possibility of paying in installments, others have added ad hoc systems used in some foreign countries depending on the origin of the customers.
The attention to its consumers can also be seen in other systems of user involvement in the estore: several eCommerce between the sectors of beauty, fashion but also furniture, have done their utmost with different creations, such as beauty mirrors - to see each other with makeup products, virtual assistants - to be helped with purchases, virtual configurators - to view the furniture in your apartment, call without obligation with customer service - for a service halfway between buying advice and having a chat with committed.
Therefore, we see the effort and interest in making consumers interact in the store, recreating on the one hand those communities that physically moved in the stores, including online, and on the other, strengthening those already present on the web in a continuum between online purchases and expenses. live. It is not surprising that one of the most widely used purchasing systems in this period is precisely that of click & collect: from the convenience of online purchases made anywhere and at any time, there is the convenience of withdrawal in the place of trust and without obligation for the user who is the physical store.
The faint difference between online and offline is gradually getting smaller and smaller and making the dimension of onlife even more concrete, after this push - definitely unwanted but obligatory. The almost complete intersection between the different worlds has made it clear that the separation between the two has never been more obsolete and that an omnichannel approach is the right way to embrace all the aspects at stake.
While on the one hand physical stores must now show attention to the customer by respecting health regulations by making purchases on site safe and allowing purchases with different cashless methods, on the other hand online must think about the best way to "pamper" its users. with quick and easy systems for making the purchase, even for potential future ambassadors who have never bought from them.
How many clicks does it take for a perfect eCommerce? There is no single answer and it strongly depends on each activity and on the customization opportunities offered during the funnel. Call now for a quote and find out how with the most suitable tools and with the guidance of industry experts such as E-Business Consulting, it is possible to create the eCommerce that best suits your needs.
