Australians are now using their mobile devices more when in store, according to research into online consumer purchasing behaviour by LivePerson.
The vendor of online support solutions found in its Connect with Consumers report that a quarter of respondents use the mobile device to compare products and prices while in-store
LivePerson JAPAC VP and general manager, Dustin Dean, said the result was surprising as it indicates how quickly Australia is moving from a market perspective than other countries.
“That may be much more prevalent or growing at a faster rate than what we’re seeing in other markets,” he said.
A result that Dean was not as surprised with was that 90 per cent of respondents wanted real time assistance in a shopping experience.
“Finding that the vast majority of people surveyed want real time assistance is something we’ve seen ever since our company was founded in the late 90’s with the goal of providing connections online, more than what a typical web site is capable of,” he said.
“As a consumer, I personally want real time assistance, so I can understand and get what I want from my experience.”
Abandonment issues
A key discovery in the report was that over a third of Australian shoppers, the highest of all countries surveyed, abandon a website following difficulty in getting any online assistance.
The survey also found that more than half of Australian shoppers will abandon a site if help does not arrive in their expected timeframe.
As for why Australia topped this category, Dean begins by stating that the retail market in Australia has been “last to enter the online game.”
“Financial services, telecommunications and even travel have been aggressive in going digital, but retail has not,” he said.
“It is a product of the fact that Australia from an ecommerce perspective has lagged a bit, but it is now coming on heavily relative to general consumer preference, demand and expectation.”
That may contribute to the higher percentage in Australia, but Dean said abandonment is a common thing the survey found around the world.
Beyond nationality, Dean said Australian consumers are no different than anywhere else in that they “want answers.”
“They want support and information in real time and not after the fact, and not by moving to another channel,” he said.
Another key finding in the report was 87 per cent of local shoppers admitting to seeking some form of help during the online shopping process.
Patrick Budmar covers consumer and enterprise technology breaking news for IDG Communications. Follow Patrick on Twitter at @patrick_budmar.
