Seeing too many ads top reason for cart abandonment, survey finds

More than a quarter of ecommerce shoppers (29%) say being shown too many ads is one of the main reasons they abandon their cart, a new consumer study by Rokt and The Harris Poll revealed.

The study, "The Joy of Checking Out" also found that consumers ranked shopping as the activity that gave them the most joy when spending time online, with streaming online content and interacting with social media ranking second and third, respectively.

"Consumers feel frustrated when they are overwhelmed by too many ads because it makes them feel more like a sales target than a valued customer," said Elizabeth Buchanan, chief commercial officer of Rokt. 

Buchanan continued, "Successful brands use AI to help foster meaningful relationships with customers, focusing on relevance rather than volume when sharing messages. By offering relevant experiences—which may mean offering no ads at all in certain cases—brands can drive higher conversion as well as greater customer loyalty and increased lifetime value."

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Additional key findings from the study include:

• Relevant messages increase AOV, repeat purchases: In the United States, 70% of shoppers will spend more money on businesses that they feel understand them and their preferences, with almost half (47%) saying that they want to shop again with a brand that delivers a relevant experience. In addition, 32% of consumers say they want to join the brand's loyalty program after an engaging online shopping experience.
• Presenting irrelevant ads risks alienating and overwhelming customers: Nearly three-quarters of consumers (74%) would rather receive no offer at all than one that is irrelevant to them. In fact, 28% of Gen Zers feel overwhelmed when they receive too many offers or are presented with content that is irrelevant to them.
• Consumers anticipate AI will be part of online shopping. Nearly half of all consumers (48%) assume that AI is being used in their online shopping experiences. Among U.S. consumers, 67% are aware of AI's use in search assistance, with nearly the same percentage (68%) aware of its use for personalized deals or coupons.
• However, consumers consider certain AI-powered shopping experiences more "delightful" or "creepy" than others. Personalized deals or coupons and reviews are considered some of the most delightful AI-powered shopping experiences, while consumers deem chatbots and brands anticipating their needs or desires as the creepiest aspects of their shopping experiences.

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• Millennials and Gen Zers want brands to anticipate their needs: More than three quarters of millennials (78%) and Gen Zers (77%) say they are more confident with their purchases when they feel a brand understands them and 73% of Gen Zers say they are more likely to buy from brands or businesses that provide personalized products or services tailored to their needs.