Internet users unhappy with product recommendations

eMarketer reports more than half of Internet users were not happy with the product recommendations they received at e-commerce sites in 2009, an increase of 14 percentage points over 2008, according to the ChoiceStream “2009 Personalization Survey.” ChoiceStream attributed the change to heightened consumer expectations as well as a lower level of expertise among e-tailers, many of which are new to automated recommendations.

“Shoppers notice recommendations more than they have in the past and, in fact, have come to expect them,” said Lori Trahan, vice president of marketing at ChoiceStream. “For this reason, quality and relevance are under a microscope.

Recommendations were considered best in the entertainment category, with about one-fifth of respondents reporting that sites such as iTunes and Netflix did an excellent job. Big-box stores such as Amazon.com and Costco ranked second, while online shoppers were least satisfied with the recommendations served on shoe, toy and office supply sites.

Shoppers’ most common complaint was that recommendations were simply not what they were looking for, up 10 percentage points over the prior year. While “inappropriate” recommendations were down, nearly one-half of respondents still complained of them, and even more said the products suggested did not match their preferences.

Overall, 74 percent of online shoppers reported noticing product recommendations. Higher online spenders were more likely to remember seeing suggestions, and shoppers appreciated seeing them most on product detail, brand and category pages.

Nearly six in 10 respondents who had spent at least $500 online in the past six months reported buying something based on a recommendation from a product detail page. Suggestions on order confirmations, promotional and transactional e-mails were less successful.