You may have invested in advanced digital features like live help, promo codes, or rewards, but do your customers know?
In the past few years, and especially during the pandemic, consumers have grown accustomed to advanced features that make shopping more convenient. These include rewards, live help, promo codes, fraud refunds, dispute resolution, and more.
And while many small businesses offer one or more of these features, consumers don’t seem to know about them. That’s because there’s a disconnect between business and consumer perceptions.
These are among the findings of the PYMNTS Global Digital Shopping Index reports, developed in collaboration with Cybersource, and based on four regional surveys. The reports tell a similar story across the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and Brazil.
Most businesses say they offer nearly all of the approximately 30 digital features examined in the shopping index reports. But only a little more than half the consumers surveyed knew about those features.
Consumer awareness lags
In all regions surveyed, there were notable gaps in the case of “protect me” features like dispute resolution, refunds for fraudulent purchases, and live help. This could be because consumers only become aware of them when there's a problem to address.
| Region | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feature | US | UK | Australia | Brazil | |
| Dispute resolution | Businesses offer | 95 percent | 78 percent | 85 percent | 79 percent |
| Consumers aware | 54 percent | 50 percent | 48 percent | 53 percent | |
| Fraud refunds | Businesses offer | 80 percent | 81 percent | 83 percent | 80 percent |
| Consumers aware | 53 percent | 42 percent | 43 percent | 53 percent | |
| Live help | Businesses offer | 75 percent | 72 percent | 75 percent | 77 percent |
| Consumers aware | 54 percent | 44 percent | 42 percent | 51 percent | |
Source: The Global Digital Shopping Index reports, Cybersource and PYMNTS, 2020
But even when it comes to rewards, one of the most-used features in the U.S., the U.K. , Australia, and Brazil , there's still a gap between what businesses offer and features consumers know of, as the following chart shows.
| Region | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feature | US | UK | Australia | Brazil | |
| Inventory checking | Businesses offer | 68 percent | 69 percent | 70 percent | 54 percent |
| Consumers aware | 48 percent | 35 percent | 36 percent | 44 percent | |
| Promo codes | Businesses offer | 58 percent | 65 percent | 65 percent | 60 percent |
| Consumers aware | 49 percent | 45 percent | 46 percent | 53 percent | |
| Rewards | Businesses offer | 59 percent | 57 percent | 70 percent | 61 percent |
| Consumers aware | 54 percent | 50 percent | 57 percent | 48 percent | |
Source: The Global Digital Shopping Index reports, Cybersource and PYMNTS, 2020
Raising awareness
Given the reported gaps in perception, it may be that businesses who invest in these features need to work harder at helping their customers understand what features are available. Otherwise, customers in search of products may go elsewhere to shop.
Sources
1 “The 2020 Global Digital Shopping Index, U.S. Edition,” Cybersource and PYMNTS, 2020, p. 24.
2 “The 2020 Global Digital Shopping Index, U.K. Edition,” Cybersource and PYMNTS, 2020, p. 26.
3 “The 2020 Global Digital Shopping Index, Australia Edition,” Cybersource and PYMNTS, 2020, p. 18.
4 “The 2020 Global Digital Shopping Index, Brazil. Edition,” Cybersource and PYMNTS, 2020, p. 33.
