Compared to slogging through malls and markets, online shopping should be easy—but with piles of product marketing bombarding us every time we do a casual search, sometimes “easy” can be even more difficult and exhausting. New research from tech shopping consultancy Software Advice reveals that this “decision fatigue” caused by option overload and search shortfalls is taking all of the “easy” out of e-commerce.
The firm’s new report, Decision Fatigue is Ruining Online Shopping, But Existing Tech Can Help, based on a survey of over 5,500 global consumers, reveals that consumers are overwhelmed with the sheer volume of search results, ineffective filters, and unreliable reviews, making it harder—not easier—to find what they truly want.
Today’s online shoppers face a unique challenge—more products than ever are available, yet it’s harder to find the right ones, even with the early promise of AI. Most global consumers start their product search on retailer websites (52 percent), search engines (67 percent), or ecommerce marketplaces (46 percent). However, they are met with an overwhelming abundance of unhelpful search results, including sponsored, inaccurate, or irrelevant product listings.
“This abundance creates a frustrating experience that leads to decision fatigue, causing many shoppers to abandon their carts or avoid ecommerce sites with poor search functionality,” said Molly Burke, senior retail analyst at Software Advice, in a news release.
Filters impact search functionality and user experience
Search filters are supposed to help shoppers narrow their options and over three-quarters (77 percent) of consumers regularly use them when browsing online. But it’s an imperfect system riddled with frustrating issues—users that regularly use them report that filters are often incorrectly applied to products (45 percent), lack a helpful degree of specificity (44 percent), or are too sparse to meaningfully narrow product selections (34 percent).
Build consumer buying confidence through reviews
Shoppers spend excessive time scrutinizing product reviews to ensure they are genuine and helpful. Despite the importance of reviews, with price being the only factor more critical to purchase decisions, the effort to find trustworthy reviews contributes to overall decision fatigue. Notably, only 34 percent of respondents trust reviews made by social media influencers, indicating a need for more genuine customer reviews.
Burke advises, “Retailers need to improve their discoverability on search engines while enhancing their own website’s search functionality to better match customers with products they really want. Making reviews easier to digest helps influence purchase decisions and cuts down on costly returns.”
Bridge the gap between social media trends and ecommerce
Social media significantly influences online shopping behaviors, with 30 percent of consumers starting their product search on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Two key factors complicate the buyer journey. First, consumers are inspired by social media trends, but most make their final purchases outside of social platforms. Second, many retailers fail to incorporate trending social media keywords into their website, including search functionality and product information.
Rather than seamlessly connecting social media-savvy customers to their products, retailers leave shoppers to their own devices to connect the dots between what’s on social media and what they’re selling online.
Enhance site search and review management
Retailers can enhance the online customer experience by adopting advanced search software and leveraging review management systems. Faceted search and AI-driven review summaries can significantly reduce decision fatigue. These examples enable consumers to find what they need quickly, reducing frustration and increasing the likelihood of a sale.
Software Advice’s 2024 Elusive Online Consumer Survey was conducted online in April 2024 among 5,585 respondents in the U.S. (n: 500), Canada (n: 500), Brazil (n: 497), Mexico (n: 470), the U.K. (n: 499), France (n: 271), Italy (n: 496), Germany (n: 496), Spain (n: 359), Australia (n: 497), India (n: 500), and Japan (n: 500). The goal of the study was to learn about how today’s online consumer shops. Respondents were screened to have shopped online several times a month or more often.
