A recent survey of 1,000 UK based online consumers by The Pixel sheds new light on the key factors that shape user trust, satisfaction and loyalty in the digital shopping experience.
“This survey details how digital expectations have shifted, today’s consumers equate performance with trust. Slow load times, unclear privacy practices or weak security are no longer just technical issues; they’re deal-breakers,” said Aynsley Peet, Head of Growth at The Pixel.
Retailers must prioritise speed, personalisation, transparency and security if they want to earn and retain customer loyalty in an increasingly competitive online space.
“In today’s digital economy, speed and security aren’t just features - they’re foundations of trust. The Pixel’s latest survey of over 1,000 online shoppers confirms that performance, personalisation, and privacy are now the pillars of loyalty. When every second counts and every click is a decision, brands that lead on these fronts will win not just conversions, but lasting customer confidence.” Shaun McCran – Product Marketing, Adobe Commerce
Speed Is Everything: A Make-or-Break Moment for Retailers
Consumers have little patience for slow-loading websites. Over 80% of respondents said they are likely or very likely to leave a website that takes too long to load, with 47% citing seven seconds as the maximum acceptable load time. Notably, 73.4% of users rate page speed as an important or very important factor when shopping online.
More than just a technical issue, speed is now a trust signal: 42% of users said that a slow site makes a brand feel untrustworthy. In fact, 67% of consumers admitted to abandoning an online shopping basket in the past year due to poor load performance.
Improving site speed isn't just a technical upgrade, it's a trust-building, revenue-driving strategy.
To ensure your website delivers optimal speed and performance, retailers should run regular speed and load tests, compress and optimise images, tailor the experience for mobile users, and consider serverless architecture to enable faster, more efficient content delivery. Improving site speed isn't just a technical upgrade, it's a trust-building, revenue-driving strategy.
Personalisation and Loyalty: The New Standard for Value
Online shoppers are increasingly drawn to brands that personalise their experience. Nearly 44.3% consider personalised shopping experiences very or extremely important. Loyalty programmes also prove to be a strong incentive, with 71.6% of consumers more likely to make repeat purchases if a brand offers a loyalty scheme.
When asked what features add the most value to their online experience:
- 67.1% chose targeted discounts and offers,
- 46.9% favoured personalised product recommendations,
- 38.7% appreciated recently viewed items.
To stay competitive, businesses must prioritise personalisation and loyalty incentives. Businesses ignoring these expectations risk losing customers to brands that make every interaction feel tailored and rewarding.
Cookie Consent and Privacy: Transparency Demands Rise
Data privacy continues to be a critical issue for consumers. While 28.56% of users admit they rarely or never check cookie banners, a clear majority - 82.89% - believe websites should provide transparent, accessible options to accept or reject cookies. This highlights a growing demand for greater control and visibility into data usage.
Consent is no longer optional - it’s an expectation. Retailers that fail to meet it risk losing customer trust.
Retailers must implement a cookie consent tool to comply with global privacy regulations, foster user trust and ensure transparency in how customer data is collected and used. These cookie consent tools provide a centralised way to manage legal compliance including GDPR, ePrivacy, and CCPA while offering automated consent record-keeping and customisable user controls.
Online Security: A Top Priority for Today’s Consumers
Security concerns remain high across the digital landscape. Nearly 86% of respondents consider online security "very important" or higher and only 2% downplay its significance.
Over 68.76% express concern about how companies use their personal data online and about 1 in 4 have experienced an online security incident firsthand.
Consumers are actively taking steps to protect themselves:
- 80.68% use secure passwords,
- 60.96% avoid unknown links,
- 53.19% enable multi-factor authentication where available.
To stay ahead of online security risks, retailers must take a proactive approach including regular threat monitoring, implementing strong authentication protocols, keeping all software and plugins up to date, and conducting ongoing security training for staff.
