Retailers believe they offer their best customer service online, according to new Dyn research.
Over two-thirds of retailers believe customers receive the best service through a website or app. This dwarfs the 25 percent who believe the best service is in-store.
In addition, 75 percent of UK retailers said that online sales made up at least half of their revenue in 2014, while a third said it was 75 percent or more.
The growth of mobile within the online category is also notable, with a third of UK retailers claiming that half of their total online revenue came from purchases on mobile devices.
Meanwhile, 90 percent of those surveyed said that their company lost sales because of poor website performance at least 25 percent of the time and 70 percent expected consumers would go to competitors or physical stores due to a slow online experience. 57 percent of retailers think that customers wanted the same quality of experience online and 76 percent admit it isn’t consistent.
It also showed that the issue is on the agenda; 68 percent claimed mobile app development was their top area of investment, 58 percent cited web and mobile traffic acceleration and 44 percent geolocation capabilities for customers.
Despite these findings, only 32 percent of retailers monitor DNS servers and networks, while only 32 percent and 33 percent monitor end-user shopping apps and mobile web experiences respectively.
However, the survey revealed considerable optimism among retailers, with 96 percent expecting online sales to increase by a minimum of 25 percent while half expect an increase of 50 percent.
The report also highlighted the increasingly global nature of retail, with more than two-thirds of retailers claiming that between 25 and 50 percent of their sales originated in other countries. Nearly 70 percent of consumers surveyed have bought from retailers abroad and 85 percent claimed that they would do this more if it were faster and easier.
Paul Heywood, MD EMEA, Dyn said: "Consumers are willing to spend their money with retailers who provide the best online experience. The expectation is regardless of where customers are geographically located. Retailers must continue to work to make their customers’ shopping experience faster and easier."
Heywood said: "Online and mobile shopping is on-the-rise in the UK, providing online retailers with a tremendous opportunity to grow their revenue and global footprint – if they can meet consumer expectations. The research shows that perception among retailers is, in many cases, aligned with what consumers are expecting and experiencing when shopping online and on mobile devices.
"Perhaps the biggest challenge: most retailers don’t have a clear understanding of exactly what’s getting in the way of delivering the fast, easy and secure online and mobile shopping experiences that consumers have come to expect."
