What Factors Affect Online Customer Satisfaction?

Of the various factors that affect online customer satisfaction, accessibility and usability for a website are two of the most important. Customers want to be able to access a site whenever they need to, and while doing so they want the site to be functional and easy to navigate. Online customer satisfaction is often impacted by a customer’s ability to contact someone when he or she is in need of assistance, and how quickly that support is provided. Many customers also appreciate the ability to interact with their shopping experience, through posting reviews of products and seeing a great deal of information about products, and often want to provide feedback to websites and online businesses.

Online customer satisfaction refers to how well individuals enjoy their online shopping experience. The way in which a company develops and designs its website can have a tremendous impact on this level of satisfaction. Customers usually want to use a website that is accessible at just about any time of day and any day of the year; providing this level of continuous availability can be difficult, but is often crucial to customer satisfaction. Online customer satisfaction can also be affected by how easy a site is to navigate and the types of functions provided on a webpage.

Many customers also want to be able to contact someone to assist with technical support or address an issue they may be having. The use of technology and employees to provide constant and helpful customer service and support can greatly affect online customer satisfaction. Many customers are willing to accept a short turnaround time for assistance, usually within about 24 hours, and still be satisfied with their experience. Longer times to reply or resolve customers' issues, however, can negatively affect online customer satisfaction and result in customers terminating their business with a particular company.

Online customer satisfaction can also be improved or affected by how much feedback and interactivity customers can have with a website. Many customers like to be able to provide reviews of products and other useful feedback, and the ability to read other customers' reviews can greatly impact how well products sell on a website. Online retailers should typically provide as much information as possible about the products they sell, as this allows customers to better ensure they select the right product for their needs. Many customers may also want to provide feedback to website administrators regarding their transaction or the overall usefulness of the site, and incorporating tools on a site to facilitate this feedback can improve online customer satisfaction.