UK online shoppers find eCommerce tactics manipulative

A new report by eCommerce intelligence firm Made With Intent has found that a majority of UK online shoppers feel manipulated by the tactics used by retail websites. The study, which surveyed 2,000 UK consumers, revealed that 63% believe eCommerce strategies are inappropriate or overly persuasive, while only 11% disagreed.

The report, titled The Intent Gap, highlights a growing disconnect between consumer expectations and online shopping experiences, with 46% of respondents saying they feel overwhelmed by the amount of information and options presented to them.

David Mannheim, CEO of Made With Intent, said the findings should serve as a wake-up call for the industry.

"I hope this report serves as a guide to rethinking how we engage online shoppers," he said. "Through understanding their intent and delivering value at the right moment. Not through brazen manipulation. After all, 63% of online shoppers told us they feel eCommerce is inappropriate and/or manipulative."

Pop-ups and discounting are major frustrations

Among the most frustrating tactics cited by shoppers were pop-ups and discounting strategies. The research found that 85% of online shoppers say pop-ups either make them less likely to buy or have no influence on their behaviour, and 1 in 5 respondents said an early pop-up would make them leave the website altogether.

Despite this, 79% of pop-ups on the UK's leading retail sites appear within the first 30 seconds of a session, according to the study's review of 100 eCommerce websites.

Daniel Gripton, VP of Marketing at Made With Intent, commented on the disconnect between retailer strategies and consumer preferences.

"It's easy for eCommerce to become disconnected from what customers want," he said. "It's how we've ended up in a situation where 1 in 5 online shoppers say an early pop-up would make them leave, yet 4 in 5 of the pop-ups used by the UK's leading retail sites appear in the first 30 seconds."

The study also found that 83% of online shoppers reported using a discount code even when they would have been willing to pay full price. Meanwhile, 45% said they regularly use discount codes even though they were already committed to making a purchase.

Ryan Jordan, CPO of Made With Intent, explained that retailers often misunderstand consumer behaviour.

"Retailers rely on incomplete metrics like page visits to understand customer behaviour," he said. "A product page view is often treated as a big buying signal, but our data shows that 27% of these visitors are still browsing. Without context on intent, we can't truly understand our visitors or respond in a meaningful way."

The need for a shift to intent-based eCommerce

The report suggests that many retailers rely on outdated or ineffective strategies because they lack real-time insights into consumer intent. Current eCommerce tactics, such as using page visits as a proxy for buying stages, often result in mistimed messaging, frustrating shoppers and leading to lost sales.

Made With Intent's research suggests that shifting from blanket tactics to more adaptive, intent-driven experiences could benefit both consumers and retailers. The study found that using real-time visitor intent to trigger discount codes, for example, led to a 68% increase in incremental revenue while protecting up to 42% of profit margins.

Mannheim stressed the importance of a more tailored approach.

"There's no secret sauce here," he said. "The more appropriate we are, the more impact we create. For eCommerce, this means moving away from generic tactics designed for everyone, but which only impact the few. It means listening and responding to people. Just like in real life."

The report concludes that rather than overwhelming shoppers with constant messaging, eCommerce brands should focus on delivering relevant information at the right time. According to the study, 76% of shoppers said they would be more likely to shop with a retailer again if they received the right information at the right moment.

As the eCommerce industry continues to evolve, the findings of The Intent Gap suggest that retailers must rethink their engagement strategies to align with consumer expectations, focusing on relevance rather than persuasion.