The finding: Half of consumers (50%) take into account how easy it is to check out on a retailer’s ecommerce site or app when deciding where to shop online, per a PYMNTS consumer survey.

That share is higher than the number who noted the availability of fast deliveries (46%), easy returns (46%), and an easy-to-navigate website or app (40%).

Why it matters: Amazon set a high bar for other retailers by making its checkout process incredibly simple and straightforward.

• Meeting those expectations is increasingly important as mobile commerce’s share of online sales continues to grow. We forecast that retail mcommerce sales will account for 44.6% of US ecommerce sales this year. By 2027, we expect that share will approach 50%.
• Retailers should regularly test ways to streamline their checkout experience with the goal of reducing their shopping cart abandonment rate. Even small tweaks, such as automatically entering the shopper’s city after they enter their ZIP code, can make an incremental difference.

The big takeaway: Small variations in retailers’ sites and apps can have an outsize impact on consumers’ shopping habits.

In addition to regularly auditing their own on-site experience, retailers should also assess their competitors’ sites to identify opportunities for improvement.