E-retailers 'focusing on better product info'

Online retailers are focusing their website improvement efforts on offering better product information, according to a new study.

The Playing Well with Others: E-commerce's Evolving Role in the Customer Experience report from RSR Research showed that retailers are investing in basic site elements rather than looking at the user experience.

It said that businesses are waiting for customers to tell them what they want from their websites before they attempt to revamp the overall online e-commerce experience, a finding that Steve Rowen, study author and partner at RSR Research, said was surprising.

He added: "What's not surprising, however, is that online pure-play e-tailers are at the forefront of innovation in online shopping."

The report also suggested that retailers are starting to approach the use of Web 2.0 and mobile technology carefully, while those operating across multiple channels are attempting to imitate their online-only competitors by offering a similar level of service on the web.

According to Hitwise, high street stores in the UK are starting to see stronger levels of website traffic than their web-only counterparts.

This news story was brought to you by Bluhalo, a leading UK digital agency.