The results of a new ecommerce survey suggest that online retailers should provide as much information about their products as possible in order to encourage sales.
Internet shoppers surveyed in the e-tailing group/ARS eCommerce Online Content Impact Survey revealed that the quality and depth of website content heavily influenced their decision-making.
Seventy-seven per cent of online shoppers said the range of descriptions, images and website tools, such as customer feedback, were the predominant factors when choosing an online retailer.
"Feedback from these consumers, who spend over $500 while shopping online four or more times annually, demonstrates that they are reliant on robust content to research across channels and make confident buying decisions," said Lauren Freedman, the e-tailing group president.
Two-thirds of shoppers were found to research products before buying and 79 per cent said they "rarely or never" buy from a site with incomplete information for fear of disappointment.
ARS eCommerce president Jay Heavilon suggested that product pages "should incorporate the best in text, imagery, tools, plus customer service information, as it is a destination where consumers look for desired in-depth content".
A white paper published this week by Integration New Media reaches a similar conclusion, suggesting that content-rich ecommerce sites are more popular with buyers.
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