Fisher Outdoor Leisure: Raising the abandonment threshold

The risk of an abandoned visit is reduced by picking the right point at which to ask for personal information.

The Site

Fisher Outdoor Leisure is a leading supplier of parts and accessories to the UK cycle trade but sells to the public as well as dealers from separate areas of its website. In both cases orders can be completed only after the buyer has registered with the site.

Unlike dealers, the cycling public can complete registration online. Mousing over the ‘Order’ button on a product page directs the user to a box on the right-hand panel where they can either log-in or register; the text offers reassurance that registration is a simple process after which the user will be returned to their present page.

The online registration form explains that contact details are needed because the site shop works “by passing your order onto one if its [Fisher’s] network of retailers”.

The Takeaway

Like any online order site Fisher has to pick a moment when it asks first-time users for personal information that will enable it to deliver the goods. By triggering this process at the point at which the user has made a decision to order it reduces the risk of an abandoned visit.

The threat is real enough even if the specialised nature of its market means Fisher’s customers may show above-average tolerance (alternatives are not so easy to come by). And its reliance on its dealer network to fulfil orders is a potential deterrent to privacy/security conscious users.

Requests for personal information are the trigger for 52% of visitors to abandon a site, according to AT Kearney. So choosing when to ask can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of a retail site.

First published on 28 October, 2003