Research says yes. A report from Google estimated that U.S. e-commerce sites lose $300 billion per year due to bad site searches. So, if your chatbot and site search suck, you are frustrating shoppers and losing sales. Liat Zakay, founder of Dondee search coined the term “shopstration” to describe this phenomenon.

… 60% of online shoppers find the most frustrating aspect of online shopping to be irrelevant search results.  And 74% of shoppers claim it is inefficient text-based keyword searches to locate the correct product online. Forbes, In Online Retail, All Searches Are Not Equal, by Liat Zakay, March 12, 2020.

But these issues are not limited to e-commerce. Consumers are increasingly frustrated with shopping experiences in brick and mortar stores. Customers leave empty-handed when there are long check-out lines, or worse when nobody is around to answer their questions. Before COVID, research showed that more than 90% of consumers were frustrated shopping in stores – and now it’s even worse.

Contemporary online retailing is no longer just about selling and discounts, it’s about show and tell. Customers today want all the details so that they can compare products and make informed choices.  Conversioncar, Conversion Optimization, 20 Reasons Why Your Online Furniture Store Has Low Conversions (+ ways to fix), December 13, 2021

Shopstatration Is On The Rise

Increasingly consumers experience “shopstration.” Shopper frustration is especially high when purchasing large-ticket, complex, or highly personal items (e.g. consumer electronics, luxury, fashion, home furnishings, automotive, communications, and health and beauty).

Frustration sets in when text and voice commerce searches result in hundreds of “answers,” most of which are irrelevant. So, users either hunt and peck for the desired information or leave. A study of search performance of the top 50 grossing e-commerce sites in the U.S. by Baymard Institute declared the state of e-commerce search to be “broken.”

And in stores, the labor shortage makes it near impossible for high-value brands and retailers to cost-effectively cover the sales floor, so customers will leave empty-handed with their questions unanswered.

Change The Game With Interactive Video Experiences

To win with digital natives, the Now Generation, brands, brick and mortar retailers, and e-commerce stores need more engaging and entertaining video-based experiences.  

Add Vocinity video-based conversational or live shopping and service assistants with just a script or link. Instantly, e-commerce and web sites, social media channels and even text and email campaigns become interactive, personalized shopping and service experiences. Personal shopping assistants answer questions and share videos, images, and send text messages with actionable offers based on user input. — consistently driving higher conversion rates and average order values.

Give Your Customers A Personal Shopping and Service Assistant, And End Shopstration

Your chatbot and site search suck. Don’t make shoppers hunt and peck for information. Never let customer questions go unanswered. And, don’t make shoppers wait to get the information they need when they need it. Even when you cannot be there in person, Vocinity shopping and service assistants can be.