A recent article in Internet Retailer asked if retailers were stress-testing their Internet sites frequently enough.
The question was prompted by Black Friday outages at Walmart.com, Amazon, Macys.com and Overstock.com, and was accompanied by data showing that retailers' Internet sites could use some more attention, based on the amount of testing conducted.
Another recent study, this one by Media-Screen, noted how much time US broadband users spend researching products online...
...and what a heavy influence the Internet has on their purchases...
...despite the fact that so many transactions are ultimately completed offline.
Yet the sky is hardly falling on retail e-commerce. Think back to 2000, when snafus at eToys and other sites had customers waiting long after the holidays for gifts ordered in November. Nowadays, the worst that customers typically see is a 15-minute outage.
eMarketer senior analyst and retail e-commerce specialist Jeffrey Grau notes that even when sites have error-free operation, there are a number of reasons for going to the store for the actual purchase.
"Buying at the store gives consumers instant gratification," said Mr. Grau. "They also can inspect the product in person. Many people dismiss the cost of gas and other expenses involved in getting to the store, and think of it as a way to save on shipping.
"The influence of the online channel goes way beyond e-commerce sales," continued Mr. Grau. "Giving consumers the ability to research purchases from home is certainly more powerful than just online sales figures would indicate."
Find out what's going on in e-commerce outside of the US. Read eMarketer's Canada B2C E-Commerce report.