Online shoppers are abandoning their baskets

Technical problems mean that transactions are being abandoned in online shops
Customers feel ignored during online shopping sessions

One in four shoppers abandons their online order
One in four potential online customers abandons their order before reaching check-out. E-commerce representatives see technical difficulties (62 percent) and overly-complex order processes (39 percent) as the main reasons why customers are failing to complete their online purchases. These are the results of an online survey carried out by the software provider, novomind AG, and the German trade journal, "E-Commerce-Magazin”. 
  
Complex sites complicate decisions and make navigation difficult  
Apart from the technical problems encountered by users, complex websites often stand in the way of a successful online shopping spree. Almost 50 percent of online shoppers are unable to locate the information they need to complete a purchase. One in five abandons their virtual basket during the final stages because the online shop does not accept bank transfers or direct debit payments. Excessive postal charges are often a further obstacle. This causes almost a third of shoppers to abandon their online shopping trip prematurely. 
  
Companies want to give their sites a makeover  
Online retailers know that to get ahead, they are going to have to make improvements. This is why two out of five plan to make their websites more user-friendly in 2006. To do this, they are focusing on their customers’ demands for better presentation. Almost half of consumers consider product presentation a key factor. About 40 percent would also like to have a range of payment methods to choose from. 
  
novomind: software solutions for professional customer communications  
The Hamburg-based software provider, novomind, is the fastest-growing company in the field of electronic customer communication and e-mail management. As a leading provider of digital customer communication solutions, novomind AG offers software solutions tailored to guarantee customers better, more individual service - significantly improving customer administration and generating a rapid return on investment. The product department’s portfolio includes the novomind Self Service Suite™. The software package contains the full range of communication modules needed for a customer service center: e-mail management, virtual customer assistance and systems enabling interactive, real time communication online - all in one, centralized knowledge database.
The novomind services department develops complex e-business applications that include scalable online shop solutions. Over 40 leading companies have opted for novomind technology so far, including Citibank, the Otto Concern, Yello Strom and the German pension insurance office. EnBW and Mexx, as well as public sectors representatives such as the German Parliament and the Federal Ministry of Finance, have already successfully implemented novomind systems to boost customer loyalty, turnover and public relations.

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