Brands struggling to fulfil customer expectations for eCommerce

Sitecore just unveiled results of a global study done in conjunction with Vanson Bourne that looked into the perks and problems of online commerce.

The two companies analysed responses from 856 marketing and IT decision makers, and 414 IT partners and supplies in 14 countries about their attitudes toward and strategies for online commerce.   The research shows that while the majority of brands understand the importance of online commerce, they don't actually feel fully prepared for driving the growth of it globally.    While 42% of organisations sales' come from online channels, on average only 14% of the online sales budget is dedicated to managing the digital consumer experience.   Additionally, despite 73% of survey respondents agreeing that customer loyalty is lost without a focused brand experience, organisations don't actually provide holistic experience online that spans across web and commerce systems.

There have also been a number of key challenges for brands maximising returns that have been uncovered by the research. The most blatant is that more than a third of brands using a web content solution are unable to personalise the purchasing experience, and 33% lack insight into and data about the purchasing experience.

Scott Anderson, CMO for Sitecore, says that as consumers now expect a seamless and immediate shopping experience, the importance of delivering the right experience directly effects the brand.

"But right now, brands struggle to fulfill the optimal customer experience due to a disconnect between content and commerce driven primarily by the complexity of technology integration," he explains

"As consumers' expectations are paramount to business, it's time for brands to focus in this area."