What Works on the Web

It might seem foolish to let customers review products on retail websites — after all, why risk getting negative comments?

But according to the Top 40 Online Retail Satisfaction Index from ForeSee Results, Ann Arbor, MI, customers with access to reviews are more satisfied with online shopping. They rate the site, retailer and retailer's image more favorably, are more likely to purchase online, recommend the site to others and purchase again in the future.

In addition, 39 percent of those who bought from sites with reviews cited the reviews as the primary factor that influenced the purchase; 42 percent of first time buyers on sites with reviews cited them as the primary factor. This group's satisfaction score is 91 percent, 21 percent above average. Purchasers who cite reviews as the primary influence are significantly more likely to purchase from the retailer again, at 92 percent.

Upping those percentages is particularly important for retailers with stores and websites. Negative perceptions of Web shopping don't just make people avoid the site, they rebound on the brick-and-mortar store, too, according to Cambridge, MA-based Allurent Inc.'s Online Customer Experience Survey. Some 41 percent of consumers in 2006 said a frustrating online experience would make them less likely to shop at that retailer's physical store, up from 28 percent in 2005. Moreover, 59 percent say the experience negatively impacts their overall opinion of the retailer/brand. Not surprisingly, 82 percent say a frustrating shopping experience will make them less likely to return to the site itself.