New Data: How Online Merchants Build Consumer Trust In The Digital 3.0 Economy

It has now been six months since the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic on March 11, and consumers are more likely than ever to shop and pay online, not only for retail goods, but for groceries and food orders from restaurants.

Half of all consumers now say they have switched from shopping in stores to shopping online, with an estimated 114 million U.S. adults now purchasing food, groceries and retail items online.

With reopening phases doing little to quell consumers’ appetite for online shopping experiences, grabbing consumers’ attention and earning their trust is of utmost importance for merchants looking to survive in this new digital economy. But how can retailers stand out from the crowd and enhance their websites in ways that helps build trust in these digital shoppers and entice them to buy their products, rather than those on competing sites?

In the Inspiring Trust In The New Digital Economy report, PYMNTS examines what site features can help eTailers earn consumers’ trust in the current digital-first economy. We surveyed 2,437 U.S. consumers to find out what they expect trustworthy eCommerce sites to look like, how eTailers can improve their sites to build trust with their shoppers, and the importance of establishing trust with eCommerce shoppers in an economy in which digital commerce is the default.

PYMNTS research shows that merchants are facing mounting pressures to equip their sites with the visual and social cues that consumers rely on when deciding whether a new-to-them merchant gets their business. A total of 20 percent of consumers consider whether they have heard of the site before, whether they accept name brand digital wallets, if the site is visually appealing and easy to use, and other cues such as these when determining whether to trust eCommerce sites enough to buy their items.

Standing out is only half the battle, however. Once consumers have made purchases on new eCommerce sites, they expect that the rest of their shopping experience – from status updates, to delivery and additional customer service – to be just as simple and enjoyable as the payments process. So, which types of shopping features can merchants adopt to transform first-time buyers into loyal customers?

Inspiring Trust In The New Digital Economy seeks to answer these questions and many more in a roadmap for eTailers looking to enhance their digital presence and boost revenues.

To learn more about what consumers expect from their eCommerce merchants in this increasingly digital-first economy, download the report.