Visa Reports Holiday Online Shopping Was a Hit

Were holiday online shoppers satisfied with their e-commerce experience or not? The answer is different, depending on whom you ask.

Yesterday, we reported survey findings from a Jupiter / NFO Interactive study that said only 74% of holiday online shoppers were satisified. Then, we see results from a Visa U.S.A. survey, also done in conjunction with NFO Interactive, that says an “astonishing 98%” of online holiday shoppers said they had a satisfactory or very satisfactory experience.

Visa statement goes on to say that, “the future of online shopping continues to be bright,” with 90% of respondents who shopped online saying they plan to continue, and 88% saying they would recommend shopping online to a friend. If these statistics, which are based on a survey of 1,128 people, are representative, this is indeed good news for e-commerce.

Joe Vause, vice president of electronic commerce for Visa U.S.A. points out that, “Getting consumers to try shopping online isn’t nearly as tough as getting them to come back.” So, reports of consumers planning to return after the holidays are welcome news for online retailers and their suppliers.

The survey indicates that 51% of the respondents purchased some of their holiday gifts online this past year — exceeding pre-holiday expectations by 5%. In addition, 19% said this was their first time buying online.

Still Room for Improvement

A closer look at the survey results indicates there’s still room for improvement, particularly in terms of providing better phone service, and better assurance that credit card information will be secure.

92% of respondents found most of their gifts ordered online arrived by the expected date 95% of those gifts arrived in good condition Only 62% of online shoppers said they were very satisfied with the telephone customer service they received when they spoke to a representative Only 55% of those paying with a credit card felt the financial information they were providing was very secure.

Most Popular Holiday Gifts Online

43% bought books 30% bought clothes 27% bought CDs 18% bought toys Other Interesting Results

92% found the Internet made it easier to buy gifts for “hard to shop for” relatives 86% of online shoppers have a specific product in mind when they shop online 43% went first to the web page of a company that makes the product they wanted 64% said they are aware of advertising that promotes online shopping 15% spent more than they planned on their gifts 33% spent between $100 and $249 on Internet purchases 52% of those purchases were made using a Visa card The Visa U.S.A. survey was conducted January 5 – 12, by NFO Research Inc. of Greenwich, Connecticut, among 1,128 adults who have access to the Internet on a computer at home or in the office. Of those polled, half were interviewed over the telephone and half completed the survey online. This survey was conducted as a follow-up to a pre-holiday survey released in November 1998.