Are Your Channels Costing You Sales?

Research from Interactive Intelligence suggests 49% of UK consumers abandon an online shop if not offered their preferred communication channel.

The study shows that 9 in 10 Brits have a preferred method for communicating with a vendor, with email showing as top choice for nearly half. Traditional methods have low popularity, with only 16% opting for the telephone.

A further 16% prefer face-to-face interactions, with real-time chat, social media and instant messaging being the least popular.

The survey, which examined the buying behaviour of 1,000 consumers, also found that 74% would abandon their basket if a customer service representative was too slow to respond.

A significant 30% of Brits admitted they had previously halted an online sale when a vendor did not offer their preference.

“Understanding your customers’ shopping habits is one of the fundamentals to a successful business. The research demonstrates how important it is to ensure you understand their preferences and offer the right channels for customer engagement. Best-in-class customer engagement has the potential to increase sales considerably,” said Dave Paulding, Regional Director of Interactive Intelligent Group Inc.

For more information about Interactive Intelligence, visit their website.