Consumer Behavior

Study: Consumer digital mindset here to stay

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May 10, 2021

A majority of consumer (81%) will maintain and may even increase digital usage once COVID-19 restrictions are gone, according to a FullStory study.

That means the "digital first" mindset is not going anywhere, for both consumers and retailers, according to a press release on the findings.

The big questions are if retailers will focus on providing a standout digital experience and if quality of experiences will drive revenue and brand loyalty.

The survey revealed a majority of respondents (64%) have been frustrated or have struggled in the last six months with digital experiences, and 77% said they will abandon a transaction when they experience an issue.

"Across every industry, consumers are holding companies accountable for subpar digital experiences," Kirsten Newbold-Knipp, chief marketing officer of FullStory, said in the release. "The rise of digital-first business brings great opportunity but also risk, as this survey correlates a poor digital experience with customer and revenue loss. To be successful, businesses must understand not only what is happening in their customers' experiences, but most importantly why, in order to stay one step ahead of digital users."

Additional findings include:

• After an error, 77% of consumers are likely to leave without completing a transaction, and 60% aren't likely to return.
• 65% report they trust a business less when they experience a problem using a website or mobile app.
• The most important factor in creating a good online experience is being able to "quickly accomplish what I came to do" (83%)..
• The most frustrating issues for consumers online are page glitches (55%), forms that don't correctly accept inputs (45%) and page-loading errors (42%).
• When a problem occurs, only 12% of consumers are very likely to provide feedback to the business.
• Retail received the highest ratings for positive online experiences (34% excellent; 7% poor), followed closely by banking (26% excellent; 7% poor).

"To improve the digital experience, companies need insight into what works and what doesn't in a way that is automated, scalable, and actionable," said Newbold-Knipp in the release. "Unfortunately, many consumers don't take the time to provide feedback when things go wrong, and even those who do so use methods that are expensive and difficult for businesses to scale. Companies need to take a new approach to digital experience intelligence to meet evolving expectations and stay in step with consumers."

The survey polled more than 1,500 American consumers in April 2021.