METHODOLOGY
Quantitative Online Survey with Behavioral Segmentation & Decision-Journey Analysis
TYPE OF STUDY
Ad-hoc
SAMPLE SIZE
2,200 respondents
LOCATION
US, UK, Germany, India, Australia
INDUSTRY
E-commerce, Retail, Consumer Technology, Financial Services
SEGMENT
Online Purchase Decision-Making
SUB-SEGMENT
Digital Trust, Reviews & Checkout Behavior
TARGET AUDIENCE
Online shoppers aged 18–55 who made at least one online purchase in the past 60 days
The Challenge
As online competition intensifies, brands face a growing problem: traffic is no longer the issue, trust is.
Despite strong digital marketing and competitive pricing, many brands were seeing high cart abandonment rates and inconsistent conversion across markets. Leaders suspected friction in the digital journey but lacked clarity on where trust breaks down and why.
The key question:
What drives trust and conversion in online purchase journeys, and what causes customers to drop off?
Our Approach
Quest Sampling designed a large-scale, online-only study to map how consumers evaluate, hesitate, and commit during digital purchase journeys.
Sample: 2,200 online shoppers
Markets: US, UK, Germany, India, Australia
Audience: Active digital buyers across categories
Research Design & Analytics
The study analyzed the end-to-end online shopping experience, including:
- Discovery & consideration triggers
● Review & social proof influence
● Payment & checkout friction
● Trust signals across devices
Advanced techniques included:
● Behavioral segmentation based on trust sensitivity
● Funnel drop-off analysis by device type
● MaxDiff testing of trust signals (reviews, badges, policies)
● Cart abandonment scenario modeling
Key Insights
Trust signals mattered more than discounts.
72% of respondents said they abandoned a cart due to missing or unclear trust indicators, even when pricing was competitive.
Top drivers of online trust included:
- Authentic customer reviews with recent timestamps
● Clear return & refund policies
● Secure payment indicators at checkout
● Transparent delivery timelines
Mobile shoppers were especially sensitive:
58% abandoned purchases on mobile due to poor checkout clarity or hidden fees.
Impact
Brands used these insights to redesign their online purchase journeys with a trust-first approach.
Key actions taken:
- Simplified checkout flows across devices
● Prominently displayed verified reviews and trust badges
● Introduced transparent delivery and return messaging earlier in the journey
● Optimized mobile payment experiences
Measured outcomes within 90 days:
- Cart abandonment reduced by 21%
● Conversion rates increased by 18%
● Mobile checkout completion improved by 26%
● Customer trust scores increased across all markets
Conclusion
Online conversion isn’t just a pricing or UX problem, it’s a trust problem.
Brands that actively design for trust at every stage of the digital journey see measurable gains in conversion, loyalty, and long-term value.
For online-first businesses, confidence beats persuasion, and trust drives revenue.
Client Testimonial
"Quest Sampling helped us uncover exactly where trust was breaking down in our online journey. Their insights didn’t just explain abandonment, they gave us a clear, actionable roadmap to fix it. The impact on conversion was immediate and measurable."
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+91 – 8287403006
Middle East
PO Box- 74603, Dubai Silicon Oasis,
IFZA Business Park, DDP, Building A1, Dubai, UAE
+971 – 558082217
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