SmartBiz IT Research Library

Retailers must understand that the online shopper segment is continually maturing and be mindful of how this evolution influences consumers' expectations. Shoppers' online tenure must be taken into account. Forty-two percent of online shoppers with two or more years' experience online stated that quick page loading is important to their site loyalty (compared with only 31 percent of online shoppers with less than two years' experience online). Shoppers with greater tenure are also more influenced by a rapid checkout process (48 percent of shoppers with two or more years' experience versus only 35 percent of shoppers with less online tenure). As users gain experience online, they develop greater expectations for site performance. Given the inevitable progression in the sophistication of online shoppers, retailers are encouraged to understand and meet the expectations of the ever-maturing segment of online shoppers.

Shoppers who spend more money online (and thus are considered more valuable) tend to be especially critical of a retail site's performance as well. Fifty-five percent of online shoppers who spend more than $1,500 online per year insist on pages loading quickly (compared with only 40 percent of online shoppers who spend $1,500 or less).