Why don’t customers buy from your store?

September 22 2022

Animated silhouette of a woman in a yellow dress who is sitting with a laptop on her lap against the background of a wall that symbolizes the view of an online store website

Your store has traffic but your customers aren’t buying? You closely observe them in analytical tools, you see that they are watching, clicking and … leaving? Don’t sit idly by, you have to act. How? We have advice!

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111 billion is the value of the e-commerce market in 2021. (according to the report www.pmrmarketexperts.com)

Why are your customers not buying from you, but leaving for the competition?

  1. Is your store new, beautifully designed, fast, and still not selling? There may be several reasons for this.

    a) First of all, each new store should be thoroughly tested on various types of devices before it is launched. You should check all possible purchase paths, test each of the available payment and delivery methods. Check the configurations. Are you sure that after selecting the courier, payment by bank transfer will appear? Sometimes such trivial problems can effectively hinder the purchase.

    b) If everything seems okay, testing has gone well and even though customers aren’t buying, you have a different problem. You need to know the factors that influence your purchasing decisions.

  2. Your store is past its heyday, you have regular customers, but there could be more? You may need to refresh your site. It is worth conducting a UX audit. User requirements are growing, their tastes are changing, but not only that. If the store was built a few years back, it may simply not keep up, and the user experience and the modern look of the store also influence the purchase decision.
A shop that looks modern is a signal to customers that their money will be properly invested. In turn, antique design can make them doubt the quality and value of your services.

Purchasing behavior

Online shopping is loved by users mainly because of its availability around the clock, no need to go to the store physically and the customer has an unlimited time to browse. It is definitely better to shop over a cup of tea on the couch in the living room, rather than walking between the shelves and then standing in line at the checkout, thinking that you have to go somewhere else.

What is important and prompts users to buy more often are lower delivery costs, lower online prices than in store, and online discounts and rebates.
The opposite effect is the long waiting time for delivery and high delivery costs.

Graphics comparing stationary and online purchases - the advantages of individual solutions are highlighted with arrows
Show your clients the benefits of your business model.

Preferred delivery and returns

Check what forms of delivery you offer to your customers, because they have specific expectations. If you do not offer delivery to a parcel locker, it is worth considering, because as many as 77% of the surveyed Internet users choose this form of shipping.

So many Internet users choose delivery to a parcel locker ("E-Commerce in Poland" Gemius 2021 Report).
77%

It is similar with returns. The most frequently chosen form of return is a free return to a parcel locker. Other preferred forms are also free options – by courier and self-return to the stationary store.

Different customers have different needs and expectations. It is your job to know their preferences and offer a choice so that everyone can use the feature that suits them.

Preferred Payments

Make sure that fast and secure payments appear in your store. As much as 70% of users pay in this way. If you can, do not give up payment by traditional transfer. It may seem a bit problematic due to the longer waiting time for the transfer, but still a large group of people use a traditional transfer – mainly women.
There can be several reasons – age, not having an account, and even … a desire to hide the purchase from my husband. So if your offer is directed mainly to women, a traditional transfer should be included in the payment list.

It is similar with returns. The most frequently chosen form of return is a free return to a parcel locker. Other preferred forms are also free options – by courier and self-return to the stationary store.

Why don't customers buy from a store they don't trust?

Let’s take a look at what influences the user’s decision to choose your store.
The most important factors are related to the costs incurred. Attractive product price and low delivery costs. Positive experiences are next, so it’s worth taking care of good UX.

But before the user decides to choose your store from the competition, he has to trust you. Your credibility as a seller is a key element here. If you do not inspire confidence, even the lowest prices will not persuade the user to buy.

What affects the credibility of the store:

  • Store Reviews – This is the main source of building credibility in a newly visited store. Remember how many times you checked reviews not only about the product, but about the store before you bought something. Therefore, it is worth taking care of the implementation of the opinion gathering system.
Graphics showing an example of a page with shop reviews and ranking, which customers determine with the help of stars
Let customers rate your store and react to what they don't like.
  • Possibility of payment on delivery – Undoubtedly, although it is not the most frequently chosen form of delivery, the very fact that it is offered inspires confidence. This way you show the client that you also trust him. So mutual trust is born.
    In addition, this form of delivery is important for people who, for example, do not trust online payments, and also do not want to pay traditionally, because, for example, they rarely leave home.
An example of various payment methods that are available in the online store.
Different customers - different needs and preferences.
  • Clear information on returns and complaints – Customers need to find such information easily. It is worth creating dedicated information pages where you can read specific rules and download the appropriate forms.
  • It is also important to put company data such as tax identification number, address and contact details in the appropriate places.
Screenshot of the section on the home page of the online store from which the recipient can obtain information about the store, e.g. address or contact number
Basic information about your store should be legible and easily accessible on the website.

Do you already know the reasons why customers don't buy from your store?

As you can see, there can be many reasons for this. We hope that we have managed to show the direction in which your analyzes should go. However, if you have the impression that you meet all these conditions, and your online store still does not bring you a satisfactory income – perhaps it is worth digging deeper and looking for other reasons. If you like, we’ll be happy to talk about it.

Business portrait of a UX specialist from Click Leaders - Małgorzata Urbańczyk

Malgorzata Urbanczyk

UX specialist. She audits the websites of online stores. Carries out analyzes of user behavior with the help of qualitative data in order to optimize the conversion as much as possible.

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