CONTRIBUTOR

Consumers know what they want, and when it comes to online business, above all else, they want a good digital experience.

According to recently released research from digital experience intelligence provider FullStory, the digital experience is more important to consumers than their feelings about a brand. In the survey of more than 7,000 consumers from Australia, Germany, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, 44% of consumers don’t care where they shop online; they only care that the experience works for them. Broken by region, the United States, Singapore and the United Kingdom were the most loyal brands, all coming in at 40% or less, agreeing with the statement: I don’t care which shop or site I buy from, as long as it works.

What did the survey find consumers to care the most about? It was speed. 76% of respondents said their top priority is being able to, “quickly accomplish what I came to do.”

The survey broke out four industries – healthcare, travel, utilities and financial services. About one in three respondents said they have stressful, difficult or stagnant digital experiences on a site or app. Perhaps industries with more of a captive audience, such as utilities and healthcare, feel they can get away with less-than-stellar experiences. After all, it’s difficult to change doctors or health systems, and there are not many places to go when one’s power utility’s website proves stressful. Even travel and financial services can prove sticky, as the choices for flights are slim in many cities and switching banks or investment advisors is fraught with hassle.

Still, the survey found that 65% of consumers are likely to leave without completing their transactions when encountering a problem online. Consider healthcare. Many hospitals and healthcare providers offer subpar online experiences. A survey released last year by Wakefield Research (and funded by patient access provider Kyruus) found that 49% of patients prefer to book appointments over the phone.

Although even the phone channel is proving to be drudgery for many consumers, with that Wakefield Research survey finding that less than half of patients using the phone were actually able to book an appointment on their first try. While 64% did manage to book, 30% gave up, and 20% went elsewhere.

Here is the specific breakdown by the four cited industries:

Travel: 26% of U.S.U.S. consumers describe the digital experience as “simple,” with 21% saying the experience is “stressful” or “difficult.”

Healthcare: 31% describe the digital experience as “simple,” with 27% saying the experience is “stressful” or “difficult.”

Grocery: 33% describe the digital experience as “simple,” with 16% saying the experience is “stressful” or “difficult.”

Finance: 37% describe the digital experience as “simple,” with 19% saying the experience is “stressful” or “difficult.”

Retail: Online shopping sites fared the best, with nearly half of U.S. consumers (46%) describing the digital experience as “simple” and 17% saying the experience is “stressful” or “difficult.”

Finally, what are the most frustrating consumer experiences, according to the FullStory survey? Right behind slow load times (76%) came loading errors at 63%, deadlinks or buttons at 46%, broken forms at 39%, and pages that don’t work – right at 38%.