# What Do Customers Want in Their Online Experience? We Found Out | Capterra > Use our customer experience survey results to learn what customers say is important for positive customer experiences, as well as what makes good online and in-store experiences. Source: https://www.capterra.com/resources/online-customer-experience-preferences --- # The Year Ahead: What Customers Want in Their In-Store and Online Experiences By Kristen Bialik Kristen Bialik Kristen Bialik is a senior specialist analyst covering customer experience for Capterra. She holds B.A.'s in English and Communications from the University o... [See bio & all articles](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/kbialik/) Published September 25, 2019 4 min read ## What makes good online and in-store customer experiences? Here's what your customers think. A majority of U.S. customers now prefer to shop online, according to a [recent Capterra survey](#survey). Overall, 60% of U.S. customers who completed an online or in-store purchase in the past 12 months say they prefer to shop online, versus 22% who prefer to shop in-store and 18% who have no preference. For small businesses, it's crucial to meet your customers where they prefer to shop. In this article—the third in our recent [customer experience](https://www.capterra.com/customer-experience-software/) (CX) survey series—we'll cover what makes positive and negative customer experiences, as well as aspects of good online and in-store experiences. You can find part one of our series [here](https://www.capterra.com/resources/learn-from-our-customer-experience-survey/), and part two [here](https://www.capterra.com/resources/what-your-business-can-learn-from-our-customer-service-survey/). Use these results for a big-picture look at what matters most to customers overall, then survey your own customers to make sure you're delivering on the things that count. ## What makes a positive customer experience? [Quality products](https://www.capterra.com/quality-management-software/) are the key to customers' hearts, according to survey respondents. When asked to rank the most important aspects of a positive customer experience, a majority (78%) put the product working well as their first, second, or third choice, including 58% who said it was _most_ important. The next most important aspects include the product or service being a good value (47% of respondents ranked it first, second, or third), timely [customer service](https://www.capterra.com/customer-service-software/) (42%), positive interactions with company staff (38%), and generally feeling satisfied (27%). These results show that all businesses should be doing research to make sure their products are working well for customers. Investing in [user experience](https://www.capterra.com/ux-software/) (UX) or [customer experience](https://www.capterra.com/customer-experience-software/) software will give you valuable insight on the aspect customers deem most important: your product. ## What makes a negative customer experience? In many ways, customers' primary complaints about negative customer experiences are the flip side of the important aspects cited above. [Product quality](https://www.capterra.com/quality-management-software/) again came out on top. When asked to rank the worst aspects of a negative CX, 67% listed the product not working well as their first, second, or third largest complaint. About half of customers (51%) ranked negative interactions with company staff as a top complaint, followed by poor value (43%) and slow [customer service](https://www.capterra.com/customer-service-software/) (39%). Roughly one-in-five respondents ranked not feeling respected or satisfied (22% each) as top CX complaints. ## The most important parts of good in-store customer experiences When asked to rate the importance of various aspects of in-store shopping experiences, most respondents cited affordable products (92%), friendly staff (90%), and high-quality products (90%) as moderately or very important. Nearly nine-in-ten respondents cited quick checkout (88%), knowledgeable staff (88%), and fast service (87%) as at least moderately important. Lowest on the list—though still at least moderately important for 60% of customers—is a store with staff that leaves its customers alone. In comparison, 81% say staff that offers to help is important for a good in-store experience. Overall, there were few demographic differences on these questions. All in all, customers want similar things out of their in-store experiences: quality products at a decent price, fast service, and friendly, knowledgeable staff. ## The most important parts of good online customer experiences When asked to rate the importance of various aspects of online shopping experiences, most customers rated [easy payment options](https://www.capterra.com/payment-processing-software/), affordable products, high-quality products, and a fast website as moderately or very important (about 93% each). An easily navigable website, quick checkout, a trusted brand, and customer service options on the website (such as [live chat](https://www.capterra.com/live-chat-software/) or [chatbots](https://www.capterra.com/conversational-ai-platform-software/)) were also frequently cited as at least moderately important for a good online shopping experience. A website that features [personalized suggestions](https://www.capterra.com/personalization-software/) for the user was the main outlier; only 43% of respondents saw it as at least moderately important. ## Make your CX great with software Creating positive customer experiences is about knowing your customers' preferences, wants, and needs. While broader surveys such as this one are important for keeping an eye on shifting trends and overall consumer preferences, there's no substitute for deeply knowing your own customers. [Customer experience](https://www.capterra.com/customer-experience-software/) software can help you listen to your customers and monitor improvements to the customer journey. Check out the first two articles in our customer experience survey series to learn more about American shoppers' [customer experiences](https://www.capterra.com/resources/learn-from-our-customer-experience-survey/) and [customer service interactions](https://www.capterra.com/resources/what-your-business-can-learn-from-our-customer-service-survey/) in the past year. * * * ## Survey methodology ## Capterra's 2026 Software Buying Trends Report ### Download our 2026 Software Buying Trends Report to see how successful software adopters avoid disappointment and how your business can, too. * * * In August 2019, Capterra used Amazon Mechanical Turk to survey 267 consumers. Survey respondents were required to live in the United States and to have made an online or in-store purchase in the past 12 months. * * * Looking for Customer Experience software?Check out Capterra's list of the [best Customer Experience software](https://www.capterra.com/customer-experience-software/) solutions. ### Was this article helpful? * * * ## About the Author [### Kristen Bialik](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/kbialik/) Kristen Bialik is a senior specialist analyst covering customer experience for Capterra. She holds B.A.'s in English and Communications from the University of Michigan and an M.A. in Journalism Research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Follow her at @kebialik for insight on CX for small and midsize businesses. ### RELATED READING - [Free CRM Software vs. Paid: Features, Costs, and Comparison](https://www.capterra.com/resources/free-vs-paid-software-for-crm-guide/) - [How to Unlock Real AI Benefits in Sales and Marketing](https://www.capterra.com/resources/ai-benefits-sales-marketing-software/) - [5 Key Help Desk Software Features With Top Products That Offer Them](https://www.capterra.com/resources/help-desk-software-key-features/) - [Help Desk Software for IT Support: Features and Benefits 1,300+ Users Value](https://www.capterra.com/resources/it-help-desk-software-features-benefits/) - [Checklist for SMBs: How to Choose the Right Customer Service Help Desk Software for Your Business Size](https://www.capterra.com/resources/choosing-customer-support-help-desk-software/) - [What is CRM Software and What Does a CRM System Do?](https://www.capterra.com/resources/what-is-crm-software/) - [CRM Software with AI Features in 2026: Benefits, Features, Costs, and FAQs](https://www.capterra.com/resources/crm-software-with-ai-features-guide/) - [Contact Management in CRM: Features, Benefits, Best Practices, and FAQs](https://www.capterra.com/resources/contact-management-in-crm-guide/) - [How Help Desk Automation Drives Stronger Support Performance](https://www.capterra.com/resources/helpdesk-automation/)