The majority (88%) of Americans plan to shop online in the upcoming holiday months, according to a new report from iPerceptions.

The report found that online retailers need to optimize their purchasing channels by addressing their website visitors intent. Thirty-eight percent of shoppers visit retail sites to gather information about products and brands. Shoppers who do this are generally satisfied (75%) and able to complete their research tasks (85%).

There is a drop-off in the task completion from the research phase to the buying phase. Only 61 percent of would be buyers indicate they were able to make a purchase on the site. Thirty-four percent said they could not find what they wanted and 13 percent said site navigation and usability were barriers to making a purchase.

“A 61% task completion rate means that 39% of your buyers are walking away, and a retailer with $50 million per year in online sales is losing $18 million in business,” said iPerceptions President and CEO Claude Guay.

“By structuring their sites so that visitors can look for - and find - crucial decision-making information, companies can remove a major hurdle responsible for causing would-be purchasers to eventually abandon the process altogether. This is extraordinarily valuable information for online retailers as we move into the holidays, and something that should really make marketers stand up and take notice.”

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