The 3rd annual survey of online consumer behavior, conducted by Harris Interactive® and sponsored by Tealeaf, found that online customer experience reached an inflection point in 2009.

The percentage of consumers who experience problems when conducting transactions online showed its first substantial decrease in three years ‐‐ from 86% in 2007 and 89% in 2008 to 77% in 2009.

Whilst the percentage of consumers experiencing online transaction problems, at 77%, remains high (there is a potential £11.2 billion of online shopping transaction revenues impacted), this improvement points to a growing business focus on delivering better customer experiences.

The survey sheds light on forces driving this accelerated online customer experience focus, including the down economy and increased consumer power due to experience‐sharing via social media. The research also examines consumer behaviour when transacting online, call centre behaviour related to online issues, and mobile commerce. Verticals represented in the findings include retail, insurance, travel, and financial services.

Survey Methodology

The 2009 Survey of Online Consumer Behaviour was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Tealeaf Technology, Inc. between July 29 and August 4, 2009 among 2,223 Great Britain adults ages 16+. Data were weighted to be representative of the online G.B. adult population.


Survey Result Summary

53% Of British Online Adults Say They Are Transacting More Online in 2009 Due To the Economic Climate, But Many Businesses Still Failing To Meet Expectations

Companies accelerate focus on online customer experience, as empowered consumers increasingly flock to social media to share experiences about companies rather than with them.

• 77% of online consumers have experienced website issues in the last year
• 46% of those would then abandon a transaction entirely or switch to a competitor, potentially impacting £11.2bn of revenue in retail alone
• 74% of all British online adults said negative comments online influence likelihood to do business with a company

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