Two Critical Factors in eCommerce Buying Decisions: One is Delivery Time...

What would you do differently if you discovered that one critical thing was driving the buying behavior of your target market?

Diving into the specifics, though, we found there were actually two factors, although they often go hand in hand: Shipping speed and package aesthetics. Both were highlighted as key factors influencing whether or not eCommerce customers bought from a brand again. This is significant, given that repeat customers tend to spend anywhere from 10% to 20% more per transaction, and refer 50% more people to a merchant than does a one-time purchaser.

A few other interesting bits from the article:

• 44% of online shoppers said faster delivery would increase their trust with a brand.
• 47% of online shoppers have chosen not to order from a retailer again because of lack of visibility into the status of a package throughout the fulfillment and delivery process.
• 40% of online shoppers said they would be somewhat more likely, or much more likely, to purchase from a retailer that offers premium packaging.
• The same percentage of shoppers said that branded or gift-like packaging affects their perception of the online retailer that shipped the item.
• 68% of online shoppers reported that branded packaging makes the brand seem more upscale.

We always knew that delivery speed was important, but it was interesting to see the effect that packaging had. That’s something we always suspected, but it was eye-opening to see the actual data.

This post, and the study it is based on, just go to show how important it is from a marketing and business growth standpoint to invest in good fulfillment processes. Speedy delivery and packaging aesthetics are driving consumer behaviors, enough so as to be the make-or-break factor for many online merchants.

We found ourselves going through a whole list of things after seeing this article by Multichannel Merchant. The headline says it all: “Delivery Time Influences 87% of Online Shoppers’ Purchase Decisions.”