Given how quickly the field is developing, consumer ecommerce behavior is still a mystery to many working in mobile, making the online shopping ecosystem one largely bereft of personalization, according to a new report from Episerver.

The survey of more than 1,100 consumers included in the company’s Reimagining Commerce report underscores the necessity of delivering complete and accurate content in the e-commerce landscape, and the findings show that brands are lagging when it comes to their digital experiences. The report also found that 98 percent of consumers have been dissuaded from completing a purchase because of incomplete or incorrect content, with 32 percent of consumers being dissuaded every time.

“Just as a poorly designed storefront or cluttered displays can deter shoppers from a physical store, a website or mobile app with lackluster content can turn off consumers and in many cases, discourage them from making a purchase,” said Ed Kennedy, senior director of commerce at Episerver.

Reimagining Commerce
The report also states that 35 percent of shoppers feel that brands do a poor or very poor job of customizing the online shopping experience, with only 7 percent believing that brands do this very well.

Episerver’s report honed in on consumer expectations of personalization within ecommerce, with 59 percent of surveyed consumers reporting an interest in personalization, and 43 percent are open to personalized in-store experiences, which would no doubt be augmented by the mobile platform.

In fact, 28 percent of shoppers chose personalized content as one of their top three contributors to a great digital user experience, and one in ten shoppers ranked it as their first.

The report also found that shoppers from 18 to 44 do so on smartphones most often, followed by desktop or laptop. Conversely, those who are 45 and older are much more likely to shop on desktops very often, which means that millennials and Gen Z shoppers are more likely to be amenable to ecommerce personalization, as mobile allows for more granular data targeting through location and app-based data collection.

Ecommerce don’ts
One of the most significant findings contained in Episerver’s report pertains to ecommerce Web sites showing incomplete or incorrect content, which is a huge turnoff for consumers. Of the 98 percent of shoppers who have been dissuaded from completing a purchase because of incomplete or incorrect content, 65 percent felt that way due to price concerns, 42 percent due to a difficult-to-navigate Web site and 34 percent due to a difficult checkout process.

Overall, ecommerce personalization provides an avenue to reflect consumer preferences onto the ecommerce experience, which is a strong way to develop trust — a hard won, and if Episerver’s report is any evidence, easily lost commodity.

One brand that seems to be doing everything right is Starbucks, which has set the standard for clean, frictionless mcommerce experiences. A recent update to Starbucks’ uber-popular application was one of the most significant ones in recent memory, including the long-awaited rollout of My Starbucks barista and a serious user experience revamp (see story).

And Walgreens is continuing to push forward in the mobile commerce space with the integration of its loyalty program with Android Pay, allowing users to seamlessly earn points and pay via mobile in stores (see story).

“Our study shows consumers really care about content when shopping online, not only the quality and accuracy, but also how it’s delivered to them. Complete and accurate content is now table stakes, and brands looking to go above and beyond must consider personalization,” Mr. Kennedy said.